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voice actor. The major loop groups are in Los Angeles and
New York, because that’s where most TV and film is produced. So if you want to
work as a looper, that’s where you’ll need to be.
     
    Voice Matching
     
    Voice matching is a highly
specialized area of voiceover in which a voice actor is called upon to sound
like someone else, usually a celebrity. In most cases, it’s for an animated
series in which the celebrity in question is being parodied. But sometimes,
voice actors may overdub lines of dialogue for a film or television program
when the celebrity is unavailable.
     
    In either case, voice matching
is usually done by voice actors who naturally sound close vocally to the person
in question. It’s helpful to ask yourself (or ask others), who do I sound like?
If you have agency representation, the agent will usually keep a list of
celebrities whom his clients can voice match.
     
    Live Announcing/Voice of God
     
    Whether announcing the batting
lineup at Yankee Stadium or introducing speakers at corporate events, live
announcers bring a sense of real-time excitement to the proceedings. Plus, they
have one of the coolest titles in the business: “Voice of God” (or “V.O.G.”).
Live announcers also work on late night talk shows, game shows, and award
shows. Let’s not forget the living legend of live announcers, the Saturday
Night Live announcer, Don Pardo, who is now over 90 years old and still going
strong. Of all of the venues for voiceover, this is the one that almost always
demands the traditional big-voiced announcer.
     
    The margin for error is
obviously very slim when voicing as a live announcer, but if you like the rush
of working in front of a live crowd, maybe you’ve got what it takes to be a
Voice of God!
     
    Radio/Television Imaging
     
    Next time you turn on the radio,
listen closely. In between the music, the commercials, and the DJ are little
snippets of sound effects, music, and voiceover that give the call letters or
brand name of the station. They’re quick pieces designed to establish the
attitude and feel of the station. This is called “imaging,” and voice actors
play a central part in them. Some voice actors work exclusively with companies
that produce the imaging, and can therefore be the image voice of several
stations across the country. For others, it’s a one-shot deal.
     
    Television imaging is a bit
different. While there are, essentially, only five major TV networks (CBS, NBC,
ABC, FOX and CW), there are hundreds of network affiliates throughout the
country who carry and broadcast the programming of those networks. And while
the networks produce their own promos (voiced by promo people, as discussed
above), the local stations also have programming blocks that are specific to
their station. Often it’s a block of syndicated re-runs, or maybe a local talk
show, but usually, the main programming a station produces is the local news
broadcast. Whatever the case, these stations hire TV imaging people to voice
promos for these programs. As in radio imaging, some TV imagers hold contracts
for many different stations throughout the country, and others handle single
stations.
     
    People who work in radio and TV
imaging almost always have agent representation, but motivated individuals with
a home studio can always pick up the phone and call local affiliates to inquire
about their imaging needs.

 
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    CONCLUSION:
    This guide is designed to be an
overview of the world of voiceover, but it is by no means definitive. The last
few decades have seen enormous change in the field of voiceover. What was once
the dominion of a lucky few has been opened up to virtually anybody. With the
advent of the internet, home studios, and online booking sites, the field has
shifted dramatically, and will no doubt continue to do so in the years to come.
Therefore, success in voiceover requires the ability to be aware of and adapt
to these changes. Success also requires patience, skill, as