New to the VO World....hello.

[leetimes4]

Just wanted to take a minute and introduce myself to the board. My name is Brian and I come to you from the great city/state of St. Louis, MO....home of the most impressive St. Louis Arch.

Just a little background so that when it comes time and I have questions, you can refer back to this post to get some history before you comment.

I came into voice acting in a somewhat peculiar way. I'm just about to hit the big 40 but have been voice acting (to a degree) since I was around 10. Now when I say voice acting I mean that I attended a class (and continue to) once a week. The only difference is that I have been the instructor for the past 4 years.

What kind of voice acting? Well, I would define it more as learning (and then teaching) people how to speak in front of others. This has (and always will be) a volunteer job that I do once a week. It consists of demonstrations that people work up and I critique them on specific points. These individuals (the class is around 70 people) in turn use their skills to teach and speak before others.

Now is that really voice acting? I don't know. I do know that it has taught me a great deal when it comes to reading and writing scripts and being able to lift them from the page and bring them to life. So if you have a better definition of what I do, let me know.

Anyhow, I've decided that, in addition to continuing my volunteer work, I would like to turn this into a career in voiceover/acting. My job is currently in sales so I hope that will help in selling my talent.

I'm sure I will be asking a lot of questions so bear with me. I'll make sure to use the search feature first. I promise.

Thanks for reading. See you on the board!

[JoeActor]

Hey Brian - nice to meet you! Thanks for the intro.

Seems like you've got a solid foundation in public speaking. I know my theatre background was very useful when I got into VO full time, and I'm sure your experience will do well by you.

Take a look around - plenty of info out there already... and if you don't see something, please feel free to ask.

Freindly Folks Abound!,
Joe J Thomas
www.JoeActor.com

[Jodi Krangle]

Welcome, Brian! That's quite the background! And I have no doubt it'll really help you with getting more voice over work. Certainly, there's no *fear* left there, huh? That's always a good thing.

[Claired]

Hello Brian!
I find public speaking terribly difficult! I know it's silly coming from an actress who has done a lot of stage work and a bit of TV presenting too, but standing up in front of a crowd and speak as myself as opposed to playing a character or make other people talk, terrifies me! I can do it, but I suffer!

[alexrain]

Welcome Brian! It seems like you'll have a good foundation to build on since one of the main things to be is comfortable with your voice.

Alex
Rain Voiceovers at Alex Rain Dot Com

[shenecke]

Welcome aboard Brian, I've got a little public speaking in my backround also. I think anytime you're using your voice it's good practice. Best of luck to you!

[leetimes4]

Thanks for the kind comments.

While there are aspects of the VO business I feel somewhat comfortable with, there are others that have me feeling a little overwhelmed. Especially when it comes to marketing and equipment. I guess I'll scour the board for that info.

While searching, I did notice a recommendation to purchase the book "The Voice Actor's Guide to Home Recording". That was my first step. I'll assume that a lot of my questions will be answered there.

[Tony Pasquale]

Hey Brian,

You mentioned a great book by Jeff Fisher and Harlan Hogan. I'm a fan and have it in my library. It almost reads like a workbook with great pics. Think of it as Audio Equipment 101. Good references and a nice place to start. Good luck!!!

[Jodi Krangle]

I have it too. It's definitely worth picking up!