Customer Reviews

Voiceovers: Techniques and Tactics for Success

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If you've heard all your life "you have such a great voice, you should be doing voiceovers," but written off the idea because A. you don't live in California, B. you don't live in New York, C. you haven't got a clue how to get started, Janet Wilcox has written the book for you!

Expert, practical, and complete, Wilcox leads you through what it takes to go from cocktail-party compliment to working professionalism, including lessons, classes, coaches, renting facilities, setting up a studio, and creating not just a demo, but the best demo you can. She explains the always-fascinating problem of getting an agent and assures you that if you ARE good enough, professional enough, and persistent enough, you will find one.

Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of VOICEOVERS for this reviewer, who has been told she has a great voice and has actually had a lead in one TV commercial, is that its conversational writing is so appealing that you are convinced to embark on the process of becoming a "voice actor" despite how much work it entails. Exercises and contact numbers are provided, along with a CD, making the book a great workbook as well as an inspiration.

What distinguishes the "voice actor" from the "good voice"? According to Wilcox, the ability to create character and explain "who, what, when, where, and why?" in the matter of seconds.

A handbook for beginners and a guide along the way for working professionals by an extremely expert and experienced "voice actor," VOICEOVERS: TECHNIQUES AND TACTICS FOR SUCCESS is also a fascinating read for audiences who wonder how the people you hear got the jobs they did.

As an actor seeking work in the voice-over business, you have two choices. The first is to spend several years trying to figure it all out. The second is to accept the experience of someone who has been successfully working in the field for a long time.

There are just too many mistakes and misconceptions that can hold an actor back in an audition and later in a session. If you want to get work doing voice-overs, then read VOICEOVERS.

Ms. Wilcox knows the terrain and all the land mines and all the tricks. I highly recommend the book.

Allen Blumberg

Janet has managed to do the impossible - create a book that guides, informs and encourages newcomers and voice-over pro's alike.

With a witty, and conversational writing style and clever analogies to sports and games, Janet manages to make the pragmatic process of polishing your voice style and delivery - the real work - fun. Plus, she generously shares real-world career advice learned over many years as working voiceover professional. This is a wonderful - and practical - new book from an accomplished performer and teacher.

I am a former student of Janet's and I can honestly say she is a wonderful instructor; one that i will never forget. I finished her course with a stronger "instrument" (my voice), a greater belief in my abilities and a clear understanding about what to expect in the real world. Whether you are able to take her class or not... her book, Voiceovers: Techniques and Tactics for Success, is a must have for anybody wanting to break into the world of voiceovers. My copy is a constant reference source, full of highlighter marks and dog-eared pages. It's engaging and relevant. It's the most comprehensive book I've read about this business. You'll find out what you should do, and what NOT to do when you're starting out. Janet provides great vocal exercises and techniques to fine tune your voice, plus it's chock full of useful information from casting directors, agents, and voiceover actors. And it comes with a great CD full of commentary from people in the biz. Definitely a must have.

Jeff Edelstein, Writer Producer/Editor at Bravo & Voice Over actor
Former student of Janet's UCLA Extension class

Put a great voice to use as a voiceover actor in VOICEOVERS, a survey of opportunities in everything from network promos and documentaries to books on tape, radio, and animated films. A CD-ROM holds vocal exercises and interviews with voiceover actors, while tips for building strong demos rounds out an excellent survey. Other books don't go nearly as far: if only one on the topic were to be chosen for a business library, it should be VOICEOVERS: TECHNIQUES AND TACTICS FOR SUCCESS.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is a great book for people who are interested in a professional career in voice overs.

This book is a wonderful addition to my "training" library. It is very comprehensive.