Almost as long as sound has been broadcast via film, radio and television, there has been the voiceover actor.
While pictures are irreplaceable in communicating stories and emotions, the human voice is equally irreplaceable in communicating those same stories and emotions.
So one would think with that kind of importance placed on the shoulders of a voice-over talent, more people would understand what we do and where they experience our vocal handy work.
But they don’t. *Sigh*
Many people know about all the amazing work MEL BLANC did with Warner Bros. cartoons and some everyday folks (people not in the VO industry) even know who DON LAFONTAINE was. But most folks don’t really think about where those voices on TV, radio, movies and the web come from.
In a way, that’s a compliment to the voice talent, because we VO’s should usually be in the background. While we are storytellers, we are not supposed to be the story.
Yet we would still like people to have a clearer understanding of exactly what voice talents do for a living.
Here’s an example of a informal conversation that many voice talents experience at least a few times in their lives:
PERSON: “So what kind of work do you do?”
VOICE TALENT: “I’m a voiceover actor.”
PERSON: (blank stare) “Uh, what?”
VOICE TALENT: “A voiceover actor. A voiceover talent. I’m one of the voices you hear in commercials on the TV and radio or narrating a TV show.”
PERSON: (Instant look of an epiphany) OOOOH! That’s a cool job! You know, I’ve always wanted to do that.
VOICE TALENT: (blank stare)
PERSON: Yeah, my Grandmother always said that I had a nice voice. You think I could be a voice talent? I mean, how hard could it be?! It’s only talking, right?
VOICE TALENT: (VOICE TALENT picks up a chair and throws it at the head of PERSON)
Therefore, as a public service (and yes, possibly as a slightly self-serving promotional tool) MVO: The Voice-Over Guys have created this graphic just so you can more easily explain what a voiceover actor does to your less erudite friends and family.
Hint: no, it’s not just talking. 🙂
