As a newcomer to voice over, I have a serious drive to prove myself. I have been working in food service for the past twelve years hearing from customers that I have a "voice for radio", once even from a retired program manager from one of our local stations. Over time and research I decided I should take this more seriously instead of taking them as simple compliments.
I later took an Intro class from the website Edge Studios called "Investigate Voice Over" to see if I had what it takes. Below is the notes from that class.
A Professional VO Coach's Assessment of my Voice
from Danielle Quisenberry.
About Your Foundation Voice:
-You are fluent in English. The vocal age range that I hear you being marketable in is 20 to 25 to 30.
About Your Natural Delivery:
-Your pacing is normal (not too fast or too slow), which is great for most types of copy.
-You're naturally dynamic. This makes it easy to add enthusiasm and a variety of colors to your delivery.
-I notice that your delivery style is casual, clear, crisp, current, expressive, friendly, hip, personable, quirky, sarcastic, upbeat and youthful.
-You naturally sound like a buddy, everyman and guy next door.
About Your Performance:
Here are some of your strengths:
-It was clear that you understood the general concepts of V.O. delivery that we discussed during class -- this is an important skill, since these concepts are a vital part of learning voice-over technique.
-You did a good job hearing mistakes when they were made; having well-trained ears is just as important as having a well-trained voice.
-The fact that you take direction well, and were able to apply it to your reads, will make directors love you!
-You were uninhibited, which allows you to be open to new ideas and direction.
-You had good cold readings, which is a great skill to have -- cold readings can be tough.
-One great thing was that you seemed willing to take risks, which directors (and coaches) will love - because you will be able provide a variety of reads for a copy and may stumble a on certain angle that the director had not considered or knew would work. Taking risks also shows a comfort & confidence in your talent and ability.
During the class you were willing to try new things that weren't necessarily in your comfort zone; this is a great skill that will be very beneficial for you.
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