Advice from ‘Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’ voice over artist Tracy Ifeachor on how to make your voice reel stand out and why vocal training is necessary.
In the world of voice acting, voice reels are your way of catching the attention of casting professionals. Your voice reel is your chance to showcase your range of vocal talents, demonstrate skills like accents and make a memorable impression that will hopefully lead to your next job.
So, how do you ensure your voice reel stands out when the industry is full of talented voices?
At the Spotlight Prize, we spoke to actress Tracy Ifeachor (Wonka, Mayflies, Showtrial), who has done voice over work for popular video games such as Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Starfield and Spider-Man 2. We asked what her top tips were for putting together a voice reel. Here’s what she shared:
The Importance of Vocal Training
If you’re new to voice over work and are attempting to put together your first voice reel, it’s highly recommended that you have some form of voice training before attempting to find work.
Voice roles and acting roles have very different demands. Just as your acting training helped you become a better performer for visual roles on stage and screen, similar training is needed to make your voice an effective tool for your voice over career.
“I did loads of amazing courses at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation online,” Tracy says. “And I just found what my voice was.”
Getting voice training or working with a vocal coach will also help you understand the range of your voice, its strengths and weaknesses, what makes it unique and what type of characters and work will play to these strengths. This is definitely something you’ll want to know before you create a voice reel.
Making Your Voice Reel Unique
The best way to make your voice reel stand out is by adding something unique to it – you! Casting professionals are looking for someone to work with as well as someone with the right skills, so getting your personality and individuality across is just as important as showcasing your voice acting talents.
Tracy recommends a good way to approach this is by asking yourself, “Who are you?”
This can encompass questions such as, “Are you a father of three? Are you a mother of whatever? Are you single? What do you like to do in your singleness? Do you travel loads?”
Think about your answer and then, “Bring it into whatever you’re talking about… When we listen to you talk about whatever it is, we’ll hear it.”
Other questions to keep in mind are:
- What do I want my voice reel to say? – What are you trying to get across to casting professionals by making this voice reel? What are you hoping they’ll take away from it?
- What do I want to say? – Likewise, what impression are you hoping you (as a voice actor) will make on the casting professionals who listen to your voice reel? Think about how you want to appear to them professionally and the lasting impression you want to leave them with.
- What do I enjoy doing? – We do our best work when it’s something we enjoy, so think about the types of voice work you enjoy and the ones you want to pursue. There’s no point in filling your voice reel with radio commercials if this isn’t the type of voice over role you’re after.
Once you’re confident that you know what you’re doing, take a look at our guide on everything you need to know about voice reels to start putting your voice reel together.
Check out our website for more voice over tips and advice, including getting started as a voice actor and who actors work with on voice over jobs.
