There’s no question about it, searching for talent, is a daunting task. But why Search? Here’s a quick step by step guide to help make it easier.
Step 1:
There are generally two types of talent.
A: Experienced, Professional Voice Actors with professional studios
B: Those lacking experience or training without a studio.
Chances are you’re looking for an actor who has been trained, has a studio and can represent your client or product appropriately. Do you simply want someone with an average voice to read your script or do you want a professional Voice Actor? It’s up to you. So how do you find a professional Voice Actor easily?
Step 2:
There are many types of voice over websites out there. Those that have thousands of actors who supply talent with and without experience and studio, all mixed in together or those that supply experienced talent only. To make your job easier look for those that have a selection of experienced talent only. Looking for an agent is very helpful. Much like dealing with a realtor, this person can guide you through the process.
It’s important to find a website that has a contact/agent (it’s all the same) who can help you. Many don’t respond well, so look for someone who answers calls or emails quickly to help you with your search and minimize your work. This contact should be able to take your instructions and produce results quickly.
Step 3:
Now, you have hopefully found a website like Agent99voicetalent.com with a live person who can work with you. It’s time to find that perfect actor.
A really detailed description of the type of actor you are looking for will help in the search. Most often the description is very vague, like male between 25-45 years of age. This leaves a lot up to interpretation and is not enough information to figure out what you need. A better description would be a male with a deep voice, a bit gravely in nature. Sometimes attaching a video of the kind of voice you like is also helpful. Bingo! Now your contact/agent can find actors who fit what you need.
Step 4:
What type of project are you working with? This is important to determine cost and actors who will be able to work within your budget. The contact/agent will need to know what the usage is of the project. For example is it a website project or a TV commercial or a training video. It’s also important to know the length of the project. These are just the basics and depending on the project there may be more questions along the way. It will help your contact/agent if you already have a set budget, or a variety of actors and costs can be provided.
Step 5:
Here comes the fun stuff! A final script or even one not quite finalized will work for auditions. Your contact/agent will find Voice Actors who match your description, have them voice a sample and send them to you for your team to review. Sometimes the choices are close but usually there is a clear winner – Voila! Now you have the perfect actor for your project!
