Introduction
Hey everybody! I’m Joe, and I’ve been a voice actor for about two years or so, which makes me kind of a VO baby still.
But in those two years that I’ve been working, I’ve picked up so many new learnings, and I hope to sprinkle a little bit of that in today’s video.
Top Five Common Mistakes for Newbie Voice Actors
So in today’s video, I’ll be sharing with you the top five common mistakes that newbie voice actors make, such as myself.
I hope in this video you’ll be able to pick up things and hopefully avoid these mistakes yourself.
I wish I knew these things back in the day and avoided wasting so much time, effort, money, and other resources. So let’s get started.
5. Believing You Need a Nice Voice
At number five: thinking that you need to have a nice voice to become a voice-over actor or thinking that you need to have an announcer-type of voice in order to start your career in VO.
Nope, you’re wrong! Did you know that there are close to twenty types of voice-overs, and each of those types needs different types of voices?
So there is a niche for everyone. All you have to do is figure out what niche is right for you. What really matters here is how you deliver the script.
You could have the nicest voice in the room, but if you’re not able to properly communicate the script to your target audience, that’s gonna be a big no. It’s not gonna work.
4. Jumping into VO without Skills Training
Which brings me to number four. Jumping into VO without any skills training. Before you do anything, you have to undergo training.
In VO, there’s so many things to learn, but the two things you need to focus on while you’re still starting out, or even before you start, are:
- Acting skills
- Audio editing
So why acting skills? Acting skills are important because no matter what script you get, you’re playing a character. In order for you to play that character truthfully and effectively, you need to have really good acting skills.
Voice acting is acting! It even gives you other ideas on how to read the script, which shows range and also gives clients more options, which they love.
Acting skills include script reading, script and character analysis, improv, etc. Check all out, learn as much as you can.
And for audio editing, all you have to learn is basically how to clean up your recordings. You don’t have to become a sound engineer; that’s why there are sound engineers.
They’re the professionals; let’s leave those more technical things up to them.
But the least you can do is make sure that you submit really nice, clean recordings to your clients.
3. Buying Expensive Equipment Right Away
Next, we have mistake number three: buying expensive equipment right away.
I am super guilty of this. I could have saved so much money when I started out if I knew these things.
We all automatically think that the most expensive things will bring us the best results and, in this case, expecting VO not necessarily, but actually, it really depends on what will bring the best out of your voice.
For room or sound treatment, the goal is to find or create a space that isn’t that noisy and doesn’t cause too much reverb or echoing.
So be resourceful, and you could totally DIY. You can record in a closet, underneath blankets, comforters – although a little hot, but it totally works.
And don’t be afraid to keep testing and adjusting as you go. The goal, though, is to find a mic that best suits your voice or brings the best out of your voice, also given your recording space.
And there are some brands that are affordable that can achieve this.
When it comes to your DAW (or your Digital Audio Workspace) or the software used to edit your audio, you can always start with Audacity because it’s free.
Slowly save up later on to buy the more sophisticated ones such as Reaper or Adobe Audition.
2. Thinking Voice Acting is Just Speaking into a Mic
Mistake number two: thinking that being a voice actor is just about speaking into a mic.
From what I mentioned so far, you’ve probably noticed that there’s so much to learn about VO, especially if you want to go full-time.
You need to learn acting skills, audio editing, how equipment works, VO rates, negotiations, client servicing, marketing and sales, accounting, tracking, and documentation, etc.
But remember, you’re not just a voice; you’re a business.
It’s funny ’cause it’s true.
1. Not Knowing Proper Rates
And number one: not knowing proper rates or thinking that there’s just one rate for all types of VO.
Come close, my pretties, I have a secret to tell you: there’s more than one rate!
Yup, you know why? That’s because the rate depends on the type of VO, usage rights, the duration of the material, lockouts, edit downs, derivatives, if it has to be aired in other countries, if it needs time-syncing, if you have to revise scripts, etc.
All of that is work, and work needs to be paid for, right?
Also, remember your rate covers more than your voice; it covers the usage of the material, all your business expenses, and investments in training, your equipment, man-hours, utilities, and also make sure that you have a little saved up for your own personal income.
Why else are we working so hard?
I know it’s a lot, but luckily we have the Philippine Voice Over Industry Standard Rate Calculator.
Whew, that’s a mouthful!
But this is here to guide you in determining what your rates are for all different types of VO projects, and you’ll find the link to that in the description below.
Conclusion
So that’s it for this video!
Stay tuned because we have other videos that will cover all the different topics I mentioned here in more detail.
Let me know what else I should have included in this list or let us know what other topics you’d like to talk about.
Thanks, and see you next time!
Introduction
Hey everybody! Ako si Joe, at ako’y isang voice actor na for about two years or so, kaya parang VO baby pa rin ako.
Pero sa dalawang taon na yun, ang dami ko nang natutunan, at sana ma-share ko rin ang ilan sa mga yun sa video na ‘to.
Top Five Common Mistakes for Newbie Voice Actors
So sa video na ‘to, ibabahagi ko sa inyo yung top five common mistakes na ginagawa ng mga newbie voice actors tulad ko.
Sana sa video na ‘to, makakuha kayo ng tips at maiwasan ang mga pagkakamaling ‘to.
Sana alam ko na ‘to noon para hindi nasayang ang oras, effort, pera, at iba pang resources. Tara, simulan na natin.
5. Believing You Need a Nice Voice
Sa number five: ang pag-isip na kailangan mong magkaroon ng magandang boses para maging voice-over actor o kailangan ng announcer-type na boses para magsimula sa career mo sa VO.
Nope, mali! Alam mo ba na may halos twenty types ng voice-overs, at bawat type ay nangangailangan ng iba’t ibang boses?
So may niche para sa lahat. Kailangan mo lang malaman kung aling niche ang tama para sa ‘yo. Ang importante dito ay kung paano mo idedeliver ang script.
Pwede nga na meron kang sobrang magandang boses, pero kung hindi mo maayos na maipaparating ang script sa target audience mo, malaking no ‘yun. Hindi ‘yun gagana.
4. Jumping into VO without Skills Training
Dito naman tayo sa number four. Nag-jump agad sa VO without any skills training. Bago ka gumawa ng kahit ano, kailangan mo munang mag-training.
Sa VO, ang dami mong kailangang matutunan, pero dalawang bagay ang kailangan mong tutukan habang nagsisimula ka pa lang, o kahit bago ka pa magsimula:
- Acting skills,
- Audio editing.
Bakit acting skills? Mahalaga ang acting skills dahil anuman ang script na makuha mo, nagpe-perform ka ng character. Para magawa mo ‘yun ng makatotoo at effectively, kailangan mo ng magagaling na acting skills.
Ang voice acting ay acting talaga! Nagbibigay pa ito ng ibang ideas kung paano basahin ang script, na nagpapakita ng range at nagbibigay ng mas maraming options sa clients, na gusto nila.
Kasama sa acting skills ang script reading, script at character analysis, improv, at iba pa. Alamin mo lahat, pag-aralan mo ang lahat na kaya mo.
Sa audio editing naman, kailangan mo lang matutunan kung paano i-clean up ang mga recordings mo. Hindi mo kailangan maging sound engineer; kaya nga may sound engineers.
Sila yung professionals; hayaan na lang natin sa kanila yung mga mas technical na bagay.
Pero ang kaya mong gawin ay siguraduhin na maganda at malinis ang recordings na isusubmit mo sa clients mo.
3. Buying Expensive Equipment Right Away
Next, mayroon tayong mistake number three: agad na pagbili ng mahal na equipment.
Super guilty ako dito. Sana nakatipid ako ng malaki nung nagsisimula pa lang ako kung alam ko lang ‘to.
Iniisip kasi natin na basta mas mahal, mas maganda ang resulta, pero sa totoo lang, depende talaga ‘to sa kung ano ang makakapagpakita ng galing ng boses mo.
Sa room o sound treatment, ang goal ay makahanap o gumawa ng space na hindi maingay at walang masyadong reverb o echo.
Kaya maging resourceful, pwede kang mag-DIY. Pwede kang mag-record sa closet, sa ilalim ng mga kumot, comforters – mainit nga lang, pero effective naman.
Wag kang matakot na mag-test at mag-adjust habang nagpo-progress. Ang goal ay makahanap ng mic na bagay sa boses mo at magpapakita ng galing ng boses mo, pati na rin sa recording space mo.
May mga affordable na brands na kayang gawin ‘to.
Pag dating sa DAW (or Digital Audio Workspace) o software na ginagamit sa pag-edit ng audio, pwede kang magsimula sa Audacity dahil libre ‘to.
Unti-unti ka na lang mag-ipon para makabili ng mas sophisticated na mga software tulad ng Reaper o Adobe Audition.
2. Thinking Voice Acting is Just Speaking into a Mic
Mistake number two: ang pag-iisip na ang pagiging voice actor ay pagsasalita lang sa mic.
Sa mga nabanggit ko na, siguro napansin mo na ang dami talagang dapat matutunan sa VO, lalo na kung gusto mong maging full-time.
Kailangan mong matutunan ang acting skills, audio editing, paano gumagana ang equipment, VO rates, negotiations, client servicing, marketing and sales, accounting, tracking, at documentation, atbp.
Pero tandaan mo, hindi ka lang boses; ikaw ay isang negosyo.
Nakakatawa pero totoo.
1. Not Knowing Proper Rates
At number one: hindi pagkakaroon ng tamang rates o ang pag-isip na iisa lang ang rate para sa lahat ng types ng VO.
Come close, my pretties, may sikreto akong sasabihin sa inyo: hindi lang isa ang rate!
Oo, alam mo ba kung bakit? Dahil depende ang rate sa type ng VO, usage rights, duration ng material, lockouts, edit downs, derivatives, kung ipapalabas sa ibang bansa, kung kailangan ng time-syncing, kung kailangan mo i-revise ang scripts, atbp.
Lahat ‘yan ay trabaho, at dapat bayaran ang trabaho, ‘di ba?
At tandaan, hindi lang boses ang binabayaran sa rate mo; kasama rin dito ang paggamit ng material, ang mga gastusin ng negosyo, investments sa training, equipment, man-hours, utilities, at siguraduhin na may naipon ka rin para sa sarili mong kita.
Bakit pa nga ba tayo nagpapakahirap?
Alam ko marami ‘to, pero buti na lang meron tayong Philippine Voice Over Industry Standard Rate Calculator.
Whew, ang haba naman nun!
Pero nandito ‘to para gabayan ka sa pagtukoy ng mga rates mo para sa iba’t ibang klase ng VO projects, at makikita mo ang link para dito sa description sa ibaba.
Conclusion
So ‘yan na muna para sa video na ‘to!
Abangan ang iba pang videos namin na tatalakay sa iba’t ibang topics na nabanggit ko dito ng mas detalyado.
Sabihin mo sa ‘kin kung ano pa dapat kasama sa listahan o kung anong topics ang gusto ninyong pag-usapan.
Salamat, at sa susunod na pagkikita!