So you’ve noticed that your child might have some talent for voice acting, or maybe he himself has expressed interest in doing such work. Whatever the case, you need to know that voice acting is an extremely competitive field, and getting started in this profession can be very challenging. But as long as your child has the interest and the passion for voice acting and you are there to guide him in every stage, having a successful voice acting career is possible.
Nowadays, there are a vast array of opportunities for voiceover artists thanks to the popularity of podcasts, on-demand content, streaming platforms, and new forms of technology. According to the type of voiceover work your child has been hired to do, there are different ways in which you can prepare him for what could be his first job ever.
Preparing Your Child Actor for His First Voiceover Job: A Guide
Coaching
At its core, a voiceover job entails more than just talking into a studio microphone. You and your child need to think of it as another form of acting, except that he won’t be seen on camera and it’s just his voice that will be featured. Being a professional voice talent requires being able to deliver the goods, so to speak, whether it requires your child to ably interpret commercial copy, bring to life an animated character, or simply narrate a story in an engaging manner. All these specific jobs require different skill sets, and thus, it is crucial that you provide your child with the proper training and coaching needed for the particular voiceover job.
It helps if your child already has previous on-cam acting experience, as he will only need to learn some specialized voiceover training to develop industry-specific techniques and skills. However, if he has no prior experience, perhaps you should register him in a few acting workshops and voiceover classes to fully prepare him for his first professional gig.
Equipment
To be good at his job, your kid would need to have an avenue in which he can practice his skills. You don’t need to go so far as to set up a recording studio in your home. But installing a good-quality microphone and recording software would be advantageous. You will need to have such equipment in order to record and edit audition materials and record demos or sample readings for coaching sessions.
Practice
There’s a saying that goes, “Practice will never betray you.” Indeed, it will show in an artist’s performance whether he has put in enough work in honing his skills. On the other hand, if he has been remiss in rehearsing, it will also inevitably show. No matter how naturally talented a person is, constant practice will help him improve his skills and learn new techniques as well. A well-practiced talent will be able to do his best in any job he is hired to do, and he also has higher chances of passing future auditions or getting more voiceover jobs.
As a parent, it is important that you are 100 percent supportive of your child in every step of the way as he makes his dreams of being a voiceover talent come true.