The Journey To Becoming a Voice Actor for Cartoons and Animation

We all loved & enjoyed watching some or the other cartoon during our childhood. Many of us still prefer to watch it just to lighten our mood a bit. But did you know that there are people who make a career as voice over actors in the animation industry? If you ever get fascinated by  all those funny voices made by a cartoon character, you might want to give it a try. 

These days a lot of advertising agencies turn their marketing campaigns into animated advertorials as undoubtedly animation is more appealing to the audience than a simple video. 

Unlive a live-action video where characters have to use their entire body and their acting prowess to make an impact on the viewers, animations or cartoons just require sound to sell the idea or story. 

This is why there are professional voice over services as not everyone is great at this job. You might think that it’s like a cakewalk, but it certainly isn’t. Becoming a voice over artist is not as easy as it seems. These jobs require special voice over training along with a lot of practice. Not to mention, the voice must be suitable too!

Though, hard work and persistence can take you a long way. Voice over actors are totally responsible for making or breaking an animation. They are quite valuable in the entire production process due to the time and efforts incorporated by them. 

Let’s Discuss The Prospects of Cartoon Voice Over Jobs 

With the advancement of technology, it has become much simpler and affordable to create cartoons and animations than before. Using excellent 2d animation software, anyone can create a good animated video just with a few technical skills and knowledge. 

Earlier, everyone thought of huge animation studios once they heard about cartoon voice overs services. However, today the mindset has changed. 

At the moment, television cartoons, animated films and commercials, video games,  and even toys come with voice over. Below are a few types of animation where voice overs are necessary. 

1. Animated Movies 

A lot of animated feature films or series use non-celebrity voices for their characters. Japanese Anime is a popular example of this. So, if the voice artist is hired for even one episode, it is more likely they’ll get more work. 

There are various opportunities too such as online student films and short films who are looking for voice actors for hire. Such jobs help them gain experience. 

2. Animated Commercials 

Producing animated ads is much cheaper than the usual live-action commercials. More marketing companies resort to animation for their advertising needs. This creates more voice over jobs for anyone. Not only do the marketers target TV and radio ads, but also online advertisements. 

3. Video Game Animation 

Since the late 2000s, the video game industry has been competing with the cinema industry to dominate in the world of entertainment. So, even the video game industry incorporated voice-over acting in it. Voice overs are necessary for including grunts and groans that can be heard while gaming. 

Unlike previously, when static images were animated in the past, the evolutionary art form is much different today. This makes the entire gaming industry a lot more diverse than ever. Video games are animated either in the form of full-motion video cut scenes or in-game engine animations. 

Developing The Skills Before Opting For Cartoon Voice Over Jobs

When going for cartoon voice over jobs, you must be able to adapt to different situations. A voice over artist must be versatile enough to adjust to various styles whenever required. If a voice over actor is able to showcase various aspects using several types of voices, it’ll give a competitive edge over others. 

Additionally, by learning how to increase or decrease the level of your pitch, a voice actor will easily be able to speak in different vocal ranges. This way unique voices can be applied to a variety of characters. Therefore, a vocal range plays an important role in creating sound for a wide range of characters. 

Moreover, you should also be consistent. A voice over artist should deliver the exact type of voice throughout the film or video on the same character. Plus, they should be good at lip-syncing too. He/she should be able to cry, laugh or make certain other noises at the drop of a hat. 

Important Tips To Consider Before Applying At Voice Over Bunny Studios

1. Identify/Own Your Voice Over Niche

In order to be a successful voice over actor, you’ll need to identify your niche, something that you really enjoy as a cartoon voice over actor. Before picking your niche, it is important to expose yourself to the following three types of voice overs: 

• Animation projects - When you perform and act as a character, it offers you more career choices
  

• Longform narration - Through this method, you can sharpen your skills at clean style splits and improves stamina for reading 
  

• Commercial reads -Here you can learn the art of selling to customers/audience
  

Once you invest some of your time to develop each of the skills mentioned above, it’ll be easier for you to find a niche if you wish to make a career in cartoon voice over acting. 

Make Use of Sample Scripts to Identify Your Niche

In order to flourish at cartoon voice over acting, just by recording yourself and then submitting it for an audition won’t work. Besides reading a script, you’ll also need to understand it thoroughly. Successful voice over artists say that they use this technique to be great at their job. 

Hold a grasp over your niche by consistently practicing different types of voice scripts. With time, you’ll notice an improvement in yourself. 

2. Search for Good Voice Over Artists as your Role Models 

In order to achieve success in any industry, studying the work of people who are great at their craft is important. You must look for significant insights in them. By researching them, you’ll get to know how they faced and overcame tough situations that came their way. This information will come in handy when you come across similar challenges. 

An aspiring voice over artist must visit the website called ‘bunnystudio’. This is the best place to find voice over actors and actresses belonging to different characters and niches. If you’re looking for a specific voice over artist, you can search in its custom search toolbox. 

3. Prepare a Cartoon Voice Index

If you wish to become a superb voice actor, it would be great to have a variety of voices in your mind. Keeping in mind different types of sounds, you can easily use one on the spot when you’re asked to. 

When you already have an index of practiced sounds with you, it’ll be easier for you to nail that job than coming up at that very moment. 

Additionally, if you’re able to imitate the voice of celebrities or famous personalities, it will be quicker to get a job. 

The best part is about being able to make the sound of classic cartoon characters. As a lot of original animation voices aren’t available now such as Mel Blanc, performers who can imitate their voice are much in demand these days. So, if you’re able to mimic the voices of such legendary artists, you can do great in your voice acting career. 

4. Indulge In the Character

Having a powerful voice isn’t just enough to really get into a character. Creativity is also necessary. It helps to know the right and suitable voice for a character in the script. 

Usually, voice artists use a strategy while picking a voice for their character. Then, they are expected to contemplate on the elements of various characteristics needed. Next step is to go through different sounds that cross their mind, and picking up a voice that personifies the concerned character. 

The cartoon voice artists also recommend doing in-depth research before settling on a specific voice. The various parameters to study are:

• The sound of a unique character
• Information about the company or product
• Script pronunciation
  

As a voice over artist, you must put yourself in the shoes of your character and ask questions like, Who am I? What is my goal? Where am I? Such questions will help you in properly expressing the character in the script. 

5. Build It Slowly & Don’t Hurry 

Don’t expect to be successful overnight in cartoon voice over jobs. The path to success is long and requires time, dedication and hard work while being full of uncertainty. The best way to start with this career is to accept low-paying projects. Make sure that these are close to your preferred industry sector. 

These initial jobs will prove as a stepping stone in the expansion of your career. Whereas, if you go for some commercial gigs, you will learn valuable skills for handling recording equipment. 

Moreover, you will meet successful professionals belonging to the same industry, and they can land you a better paying job in the future. Be sure to grab every opportunity to flaunt your talent; because you never know where the next chance lies!

Wrapping Up

There’s a lot of scope for voice over jobs in the animation industry. Therefore, if you do it the right way and be patient and persistent, you’ll come across numerous opportunities for cartoon voice over actors/actresses. 

In a nutshell, if you enjoy creating strange voices and mimicking, then this is the perfect option for you.