Is it ever too late or too early to get into Voice Over and Voice Acting?

The answer is a resounding NO!!

Now just coz you got your answer doesn’t mean you have to keep scrolling… there are some caveats…read on to find out whether, in the seemingly saturated VO marketplace, you still have a chance or whether you should just give up and not bother.

First, let’s ponder whether it’s ever too early? If you’re reading this, you’re either thinking about your kids getting into the profession or you’re a kid who’s interested in voice acting or anime and it’s your dream to be the next Disney star or celebrity video game character with millions of followers. It means you’re big enough to read – A good age to begin, you’re old enough to act and memorize your lines, and with a little support and push from your significant others – you could reach for that elusive star.

That dream however far-fetched it may sound is what makes you human – the ability to dream, to have a vision of a bright future – it’s that intrinsic belief, that you can achieve your dreams and make it happen someday, that keeps us ticking, brings us alive and keeps us motivated to keep trying – our very best. If you believe you have that spark, that latent potential, and if objective others have often told you you do, then perhaps it’s time you give it a serious thought?

However young you are – all you need is a few important Ps – that potential, the undying passion, perseverance, patience, and a positive perspective. Own your voice, hone your craft, work smart, stay savvy, network and collaborate, keep learning, keep pushing for excellence and you’ll definitely get there…..if you’re prepared to be in this for the long haul and you’re NEVER going to give up – Hey! Give it your best shot. It’s NEVER too early to start.

I just got my son to audition for a VO job – in fact, interesting story – I sent in 3 samples – both my sons auditioned and I sent in my voice impersonation samples too. It was for a voice acting job – the client was looking for a thirteen-year-old boy to play an ancient Chinese teenager. I was happy to lose that audition to my younger son – He landed the job! He’s 11 years old and this was his first paid assignment. He did a good job with a little direction from his pro mom 😉 (To view the video which will be played in the Asian Civilisation Museum and has been uploaded on their website click here )

Remain OPEN to opportunities that come your way and immerse yourself in life’s experiences – every type of performance exposure will help you grow, lend perspective with lessons learned that you can put into your long term memory bank – and pull from that wealth of storage space, one gigabyte at a time – packing a power-punch when the time is right.

Regard Rejection and Failures as your friends as each one of those is your stepping stone to success.

Now, let’s say you’ve meandered your way through your career and ended up stuck in a job you drag yourself to every morning – heck! you have to put food on the table! You wanna stay practical and grounded. You’re doing the responsible thing after all! You’re showing up for the people you love, you’re a breadwinner but how about buttering that bread, toasting it with a dollop of cheeeeese and biting into that melted, grilled to perfection, crispy piece of heaven? When you can have your bread and eat it the way you love it, why not? Start doing VO on the side as a freelancer and work yourself up to a position where you begin seeing the graph shift in your freelance income favour, so you’re able to eventually give it a go – full time! Why stop at voice over only? Do theatre, improv, sign up to take part in ads, corporate videos, write copy, sing – whatever makes you happy – do more of it and wear many hats if you have them to switch – It’s what makes life interesting – Explore and dive wholeheartedly into the multi-dimensional YOU! Some can be hobbies and some will naturally and organically transition from hobbies to professions. Now, when passion and profession come together, you’ve got purpose or what the Japanese call ‘Ikigai’

It’s NEVER too late to get into voice over. There are so many genres of voice-over, so many platforms for audio-visual media and with smartphone apps, audiobooks, IVR and YouTube so many avenues have opened up for voice-over artists. The VO industry has changed and it’s now easier to get into the profession and with a professionally produced demo reel, Home Studio set up and your willingness to be both creative and business-minded at the same time, stay tech-savvy, have a pulse on the times, keep your voice and breath in tip-top shape, voice impersonate various ages and genders – you could be in the business for good – no matter what your biological age is! Age in voice-over is actually just a number – your audible voice age is what matters. Unlike screen age which depends a lot on your looks, which are guaranteed to fade with the passage of time, your voice age is as young and as old as YOU want it to be!!! Impersonation, Impressions, Mimicry Talent on your side? Use it to your advantage to sit in your PJs and get paid to have fun….from the comfort of your home. No Monday morning blues, no need to rush, get dressed, travel, stress out, hustle or expose yourself to freaky viruses.

Longevity in voice-over is REAL!!! No wonder it’s been voted one of the top 20 DREAM JOBS.

Wanna turn your dreams into reality! Do what it takes – START! And then NEVER STOP!

To see my tips to a group of senior theatre enthusiasts in my recent online talk on the voice acting profession – click here

To view 3 voice impersonations I did as part of my talk ‘Creating Impactful Impressions with your voice’ to 100 employees at Salesforce, Mulesoft and Tableau event click here…

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For voice over for your media project – Website – www.voice4ads.com

For classes, workshops and talks on voice over and voice acting – https://wondersofthevoice.com