‘Came across this article in my meanderings on the internet… it underscores a few thoughts about our industry rather well.
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president and creative director of Voice Coaches, Bourgeois works with
voice actors from across the country out of his Schenectady studio. His
clients have done work for TLC, Discovery, HGTV and WE.
According
to Bourgeois, voice talent today is all about diversity. Companies are
looking for voices different from the booming male tones often heard in
movie trailers and beer commercials.
“We’ve transcended from
being an industry where you used to have to be almost born with the
voice to do this. The trick for a voice actor today when they are
marketing themselves is to try to figure out what is it their voice is
a fit for. Then target that aspect of the industry,” Bourgeois said.
Marketers are looking for voices that represent the people they are trying to reach.
“People are more receptive to a message that they feel is like themselves,” he said.
Bourgeois also said older actors do well in the field.
“As
you get older, your voice range actually increases. If I put somebody
who’s 60 on the microphone, it’s difficult for me to tell how old they
are. They could be 40 or 70. They can play a broader range with their
voice,” he said.
Bourgeois describes voice work as a special kind of acting.
“In
voice acting, it’s what you hear, not what you see. It gives you a
special anonymity. You can be anything your voice wants you to be,” he
said.
Voice Coaches will present an introduction to voice
acting class at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Adirondack Community College
through the Center for Personal and Professional Development. John
Gallogly, senior creative director for the company, will give locals an
overview of the industry in the 2-1/2 hour non-credit “Getting Paid to
Talk” class.
Technology has had one of the biggest effects on the field, Bourgeois said.
“Most
people think of voice work as being about commercials. Commercials are
part of our field, but only about 10 percent,” he said.
Recent
growth in voice acting has come from audiobooks, cable television,
voicemail systems, video games and the Internet — an area with
limitless potential, Bourgeois said.
“That work didn’t even exist if you go back five or six years ago,” he said.
The ACC class is meant to give interested actors a glimpse of the industry, not make them overnight stars.
“It’s
designed as an introduction to the field of acting,” Bourgeois said.
“What type of voice do we look for today? Where do you look for work
opportunities locally? Pros and cons of the field.”
Those attending, however, will get their shot at the real deal.
“At
the end of the class, we give everyone in the class a chance to record
a short clip under the direction of our producer,” Bourgeois said.
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Here’s a link to the original website.
CourVO
