The breakout independent film ‘In A World’ has spawned a surge of inquiries and jobs in one of the smallest but most lucrative industries. Voice over talents are some of the highest paid actors in Hollywood, but thanks to technology now almost anyone can get in on the act.
In less than ten years the voice over industry has shifted from recording studios in big cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, to professional home studios in small towns around the world.
Traditional bricks and mortar agencies are making way for online voice over casting websites. What used to take days and even weeks is now being replicated in a matter of hours.
Robert James, Marketing Manager for voice recording services website The Voice Realm, says that the movie has pushed the little known role of a voice over actor from a dark studio into the light. “Since the movie has become so popular over the past few months we have been inundated with enquiries about breaking into the voice over industry. But many don’t realize there’s a lot more to voice acting than just having a unique or pleasant voice.”
Voice over bookings at the website increased by 356% in the past three months. Enquiries from aspiring voice actors increased by a whopping 2,571%
Many people are quickly deflated when they realize that competition for roles is tough. Many voice over talent may audition for hundreds of roles only to land one paid gig.
But the big money comes from landing a plum role in a national radio and television commercial. Mr. James says that’s like hitting the jackpot. “If you have the exact sound that the client is looking for and they hire you for a big campaign for a high profile company like McDonalds’s or Coca Cola, you could be looking at $40,000 to $60,000.”
Previously only actors in big cities would have had the chance to audition. But now with castings moving online almost anyone can send their audio sample to the client.
The growth of online voice over auditions online has been a boon for professional male and female voice talent like Rachael West who is based in Colorado where she records in her studio for clients daily. “Site’s like The Voice Realm have introduced really top notch clients to my voice and facilitated the beginnings of wonderful business relationships. The whole process, from booking a job to getting paid, can happen in less than a couple of hours in some instances.”
Mr James said he expects the industry to continue to grow into 2014 as more applications such as smartphone games utilize professional voice talent.
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ABOUT THE VOICE REALM:
The Voice Realm is a voice over casting website where small and large businesses can find and hire professional voice over talent directly.
The site operates year round and 24 hours a day. Castings can be made across the sites three portals,http://www.thevoicerealm.com (Global) http://www.thevoicerealm.co.uk (British) and http://www.thevoicerealm.es(Spanish)