By Keith Brunson
So, you'd like to get into voiceover. You've been told you have a good voice. You want to become a paid voice actor because of your vocal beauty. So, where do you start? To answer this question, I've gone to the source. If you've heard radio or television over the past twenty years, there is an excellent chance you've heard Wendy Zier. Her credits are a laundry list of companies that any voiceover talent would love to claim. But before we expand on Wendy's story, look at how she morphs from one personality to another reading with no rehearsal for the TikTok voiceover challenge.
Voice-over artist Wendy Zier goes from "cool" to "intimate" and more in the TikTok Voiceover Challenge.
Wendy Zier can be referred to as somewhat of a national treasure. Here are but a few of her companies that she has voiced. Hasbro. IBM. Disney. McDonald's. Amazon. Samsung. Wells Fargo. Blue Cross Blue Shield. United Airlines in flight. On and on. "If you've heard major league advertising, chances are, it's me voicing it at one time or another," says Wendy. But Wendy's life story in voiceover expands beyond ads into narration, I.T., and medical narration. All of this was accomplished throughout a long and prosperous career. And at this writing, Wendy is voicing for Amazon. www.wendyvoices.com
Wendy voices but also teaches VO etiquette. "There is a manner by which the artist needs to know how to accept direction and respond to it," she says. "And part of that etiquette is showing gratitude for the moment." The recognition is purely secretive. "It's like you're famous, but no one knows who you are."
In voiceover, having a good voice is simply not enough. There are technical requirements that you must master, "And you have to know how to be a listener and learn how to behave in a voiceover session," Wendy explains. "It's part of it," says Wendy, who began her craft 25 years ago and made $30,000 her first year. That's not a fortune, but it is where she financially began at 28 years old.
So today, we are here to teach you how to get into voiceover. And it's here that Wendy Zier becomes the answer to your inspiration. "It begins with desire," she comments. "And it is fair to say that it is not an easy road, but with hard work and persistence, if you're willing to put In the time, it'll pay off." Here's Wendy on video, instructing the tuning fork of the elbow in a comedy fashion. This is a real thing.
Voice talent Wendy Zier creates voice-over instruction videos with a twist of humor.
Wendy believes you must nurture your voice talent, "and that begins with professional training, coaching and learning the business principles by which the voiceover business casts the voices you hear." And the first thing you'll be taught is, "How can I differentiate my voice from someone else within the first 3-5 seconds in the audition?" Wendy believes a good quality audition is the key to getting noticed, "And it helps to be humble and agree to the process of how to get hired," she says.
However, some companies will try anything to get a voice they like for a price they cannot afford. Here's a true story. "It was a national hamburger franchise, and they wanted my voice for commercials. I agreed…until they told me they'd pay me in hamburger coupons, so I passed," Wendy tells me, "And they were serious. My voice. Free hamburgers." Watch out for people like this; she advises, "because no one wants free hamburgers in exchange for their God-given gift."
If you feel you have a gift, contact The Voice Shop In New York. www.voiceshopcoaching.com Voice classes from beginner to advanced are taught in-studio or remotely. So, no matter where you're reading this, you can study voiceover in an online group class or with private voice instruction. There are coaches for all genres. All styles.
"You can't get anywhere without training," advises Wendy. You want to get into voiceover? Start here.
