What Is Voice-Talent And How Is It Used?

There are lots and lots of voice overs that everyone hears each and every day. They are saturate the media with the messages that make our modern world go around.

A voice-over artist is an actor or actress who lends his or her voice in order to give a voice to an animated character or to be featured in an advertisement to name a few. The voice over can be spoken by someone who the audience will see or by professional voice talent someone who the crowd will not see. There are many devices to employ a voice-over with. These can be used in building character, creative influences in cinema, education, or in sales and marketing.

One of the most common ways to use vocalization is in TV and movies. For instance, animated characters (such as the children from the show ‘South Park’) are animated. They need voice-over artists in order to give them personalities and to make the show work. There are times where well known actors are used as the voice actors, such as Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz, who lent their voices for the ‘Shrek’ movies, or, it is a specialized voice actor, not a movie-star who portrays the characters. Obviously, using an actor’s voice is critical to building the animated character and making them seem believeable.

In other examples, there are no animated characters, but the need for off screen narration is still there. A voice-over can be used to manufacture an ironic twist, or to make a statement in the film. This is the creative element. It can be a member of the cast narrating, or miss-matched voices speaking and the narration does not match the characters on screen. This creates a sense of chaos and lends to the movies’ originality, such as the film ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’, where this technique is used.

Moving away from film usage, voice-overs can also be used for educational or descriptive purposes. Our television news is broadcast with video clips and commentary by the reporters, who are describing and explaining the significance of the
clips being shown. Sports broadcasts also have spoken comments, particularly when played over the radio. There are also voice-overs that are used as commentary by a historian or critic, possibly even directors about when a new movie or DVD will be released.

Sometimes, instead of just commentary or news programs, voices are also used for advertising and marketing purposes. We do not see the actor that is speaking in the advertisement, but we hear it on TV, radio, in stores and shopping malls, to name a few places. Voice-overs were primarily used on radio, but since the development of the TV, this device has crossed over into television as well.

Some prominent and iconic voice-over artists are Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Hal Douglas, & James Earl Jones. These artists and the utilization of their voice over talents are very useful in many different facets of our modern world. It is not just for showbiz. It can be used creatively and commercially, and almost everyone come into contact with it on a regular basis.

About the Author: Voice Over Artist Terry Daniel Provided High-Quality Voice Over Talent for All Types Of Media. Visit: http://AmazingVoiceTalent.com to Listen To Terry's Free Online Demo!