Let’s face it, sportscasting alone rarely pays all the bills. Countless sportscasters need to supplement their sportscasting dream by pursuing things like sales or marketing or a completely separate job outside of sports broadcasting. But what about voice-over work?
It makes sense. Using your voice, your natural talents in order to supplement not only your sportscasting but your income as well. It’s a great natural fit because freelance voice-over work can be extremely flexible and can be a great way to stay sharp both when you’re busy and when things are a little quieter in the off-season.
John Sanfilippo of Tyton Sound recently wrote an article about voice-over work, and some questions to ask before jumping into this world. While voice-over work can be a great way to supplement income, it can be extremely competitive (sound familiar?) and a tough industry to be successful in.
Let’s start with the disclaimer, shall we?
The point of this blog is not to discourage anyone from pursuing voice-over work. I’ve never told anyone that they’ll never make it in this business. I don’t want to be that guy. I am, however, very upfront and direct with people. If there are challenges they must overcome to get to the point where they can do this type of work (and get paid for it), I tell them. If you want to do it, by all means go for it. Hard work and a willingness to risk failure go a lot further than raw talent on its own.
I’ve been both reading and directing voiceovers for well over fifteen years, so I hope I’m able to bridge the two disciplines and hopefully bring a unique perspective.
1- Can I read?
Seems pretty fundamental, doesn’t it? While most people certainly are literate, you’d be surprised how many people can’t read without sounding like they’re reading. If this is a struggle for you, take steps to prepare for the session. Practice performing the content before you get in the booth. Important to remember that it is just that; a performance – not a reading.
Click here to read the full article.
