Voice-Over Classes, Workshops, Training, Coaching and Instruction Overview
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Bob Michaels has been involved in voice-over training since 1992. He offers classroom instruction and teaches private lessons in his personal studio, guest lectures at area schools and colleges, and holds custom workshops on voice-overs and voice communication skills for companies and corporations.
Bob’s curriculum is designed for beginning and intermediate level understanding. In his own words:
“There are some great voice-over workshops and seminars available, but many of them assume a fairly high degree of prior knowledge on the part of the performer about voice-over styles, terms, techniques, practices, copy performance, etc., and tend to focus only on copy reading and critique. My training is designed for people who may have little or no exposure to the voice-over world…people who want to learn more about the basics of voice-over performance, and what it really takes to do this job. Information is a key aspect of my instruction, because acquiring useful information is tremendously important if you wish to succeed.”
“You should also know that there are three basic steps to getting started as a voice-over performer. These three steps are only the beginning, but having an understanding of these steps should help you better chart your entry into a possible voice-over career.”
Step One is education. You obviously need to learn everything you can about this subject and build your knowledge so that you can be prepared for the realities of the job. Education takes on many forms for beginners, such as books/tapes, classes, workshops, seminars, and private instruction. As with any subject, it is best to learn from and seek the opinions of those with experience in the field. If you disregard the education and training part, the rest will be more difficult than you could possibly imagine.
Step Two is development. Voice-Over is an artform, and as with any other artform it requires concentrated practice and development to reach a professional level of performance. Most people do not spend enough time on this step, and try to enter the market before developing sufficiently as performers. I often compare becoming a voice-over performer to becoming a professional musician. In music, you can take classes to learn to read music, play your chosen instrument, understand music theory, learn various styles, etc., but you cannot be taught artistry. That must be developed on your own through practice and experience. The exact same thing holds true in voice-over performance.
Step Three is the development and production of your voice-over demo. Without a demo, you will not be able to seek the representation of an agent, or market your skills to prospective employers. The production of a demo is time consuming and specialized work, and should be done in a professional recording studio, hopefully with the help of an experienced demo producer. You will learn all about this tool in the education step, above.
If you would like more information about classes, workshops, private instruction, or custom seminars, you may contact Bob at 972-243-6086. E-mail bob_michaels@sbcglobal.net
Education Overview Podcast