Voice recording requires a particular type of talent. While some actors also do voice overs or lend their voices to cartoon characters, most of the professional voice actors specialize in the vocal aspects of this specialized type of production.
Becoming one of the sought after cartoon voice actors is not easy. It is very difficult to get into this niche in the acting world as getting the first role often means competing with experienced, professional and already recognized voice actors.
If you are interested in joining the ranks of cartoon voice actors, there are some important skills, talents and abilities that can help to achieve your goals.
Practice Makes Perfect
Being able to quickly read through and then read aloud in a confident, clear and precisely articulated way is a true talent. This will require considerable practice to develop and requires continual focus as well.
Start by reading aloud short stories, books, poems or even children’s books that are familiar. Work on cadence, intonation and voice changes to create distinctive characters. Then, move to less familiar material where you have to “think on your feet.”
Hear Your Sound
One of the things that all professional cartoon voice actors do is to regularly record and listen to their own voices as they play their characters. This helps them to pick up on areas of improvement and to constantly maintain the voice of the specific character in a consistent manner.
Learn Vocal Techniques
With cartoon voice acting, narrating or voice over performances, knowing how to use your voice to your advantage will be essential. Developing the correct breathing techniques as well as how to control and modulate your voice to create the distinctly different character voices is a skill that will need to be fully developed.
Finally, be prepared to start small and gain experience. Practice imitating voices, listening to different accents and voices and taking every opportunity to learn from those already in the business.
