Pro Tips on How to Put Together a Voice Actor Portfolio

Advice from a former talent booker

Photo by Emmanuel Ikwuegbu on Unsplash

If you’re a fan of anime, cartoons, or animated movies, you already know that voice acting is a HOT field. At fan conventions, voice actors are given the same awe as major television stars and iconic comic book artists. If you become famous in this industry, you are a celebrity in your own right — and the paychecks can be pretty decent, too.

Fortunately, voice acting is one of the very few fields not heavily affected by AI. Since more and more people are starting up YouTube channels, the number of voice-acting gigs is starting to climb. To get those gigs, you need to show what you’ve got to offer…but how?

Well, I used to work in the entertainment industry. I wasn’t just a PR person or a journalist. At times, I had a part-time gig as a modeling booker and talent agent assistant, which led me to booking voice actors. Those jobs helped me learn how important a great portfolio is. But how do you make one?

Here is some beginner’s advice for how to make a memorable voice acting portfolio to book your first gig.

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First things first, practice.

Voice acting is not an easy skill to take up, nor one everyone can do. You have to have the right voice for the job, and then cultivate your skill. A good voice actor’s voice will always be clear, emotional, in shape, and in character.

Before you start putting together demo reels, make sure you have the following skills down pat:

• Pronunciation. Can you do tongue twisters like a pro? Not just “red leather, yellow leather,” but verbal challenges like “How much wood could a woodchuck chuck . . .” or hip-hop verses. Take time to perform tongue twisters and learn how to pronounce words that often make people stumble.

Tip: If those examples are too challenging at first, try learning monologues. Maurice LaMarche, one half of the Pink and the Brain pair, mastered Brain’s voice by repeatedly listening to and reciting Orson Welle’s infamous “Frozen Peas” commercial outtakes.

• Multiple Personas. Many voice actors coast by on one or two “characters” they can do. However, career voice actors are incredibly versatile. If you want to see serious range in your gigs, you need to develop different personas to work with.
  
  For example, Christine Cavanaugh was one of the most prolific in the industry during the 90’s. She starred as the titular character in Babe, Oblina from Aaah Real Monsters, and Chuckie Finster from Rugrats. Like any great actor, she created and gave her characters unique personalities filled with memorable nuances. Take time to come up with a couple of generic cartoon voices and give them each a piece of your personality.
• Stuttering. Believe it or not, learning how to stammer and stutter convincingly is a major skill in the world of voice acting. (Just ask Bob Bergen, the voice of Porky Pig since 1990). The same can be said about learning how to cry without really crying. (Real crying tends to sound muffled or awkward in cartoons). Voice acting is an auditory art, so study all kinds of sounds other than ordinary speech.
• Accents. A convincing accent can make or break your ability to get booked in a wide range of different gigs. While this is not always mandatory, having an accent or two in your back pocket before you start working on a portfolio is always handy.

Jim Cummings once worked as a river boat crewman under a captain with a thick Cajun accent. Imitating him for years helped Cummings get the job voicing Ray, the Cajun firefly in The Princess and the Frog.

• Singing. If you want to work in cartoons rather than just narration, you will most likely have to deal with a singing character, such as Marceline in Adventure Time, a rocker, or Rayla in The Dragon Prince, a warrior who sang a lullaby. Many voice actors have noted the mechanical similarities between singing and their art, which has helped artists like Grey DeLisle and Tara Strong. Invest in singing lessons. Don’t be afraid: sing your heart out and learn a whole new dimension of your craft.

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Next, start recording your reels or videos.

YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram have become great for people who want to show off their voice acting skills. The platforms give you a good repository for your demo reels, allow you to grow a following of people who like your stuff, and also make it easier for you to network with people who want to hire actors.

Here are some suggestions for your portfolio:

• Have a YouTube channel dedicated to reels and clips of your voice acting samples. If you want to get hired for gigs, you will need to provide at least 2 demo reels showcasing your talent. A demo reel, lasting about 90 seconds and showcasing your solo voice skills, is the first step toward any voice acting career. Use one reel for character performance and another for narrations (used in commercials, audio books, and educational projects). Pin them to the top of your profile if you can.
• Sign up with IMDB. IMDB has a database for talent that allows you to sign up for casting calls, apply for gigs, and keep your resume on hand. This resource is one of the best-kept secrets of the talent world–use it!
• Update your IMDB. Yes, if you get roles, you need to update your page no matter how big or small they are.
• Start searching and applying for free gigs. In the world of talent, you will have to do some free stuff to get your feet wet and get exposure. A good place to start is CastingCall.Club, which is a talent-specific job board. You can also use IMDB and Voices.com, though these can be a bit more competitive.
• Keep a list of references. You might also want to get references and messages of approval from co-stars. Getting those quotes can help encourage others to hire you.
• If you have the time, consider doing a podcast or a YouTube voice acting tutorial series. Sometimes, the best way to find new gigs is to show that you have the chutzpah to market yourself. You can show your talents by launching voice acting tutorials, TikToks, or even joining a podcast.

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Let’s talk about social media and your voice acting portfolio.

Your portfolio needs to have links to your social media. Ideally, your social media will have a serious following behind it. Most major voice actors will have at least 1,000 followers on their accounts before they really become a force to reckon with.

Your social media accounts, especially your Instagram and X accounts, are your kingmakers. For example, industry mainstays like Troy Baker, Greg Baldwin, and Cree Summer each keep in the social media loop on these platforms. You need to post regularly, or at the very least show a couple of memes to keep your content fresh.

Before we completely finish this article, you need to know what NOT to do with your social media accounts. Because one foolish post can make or break your career.

How to make your social media portfolio-ready

As a voice actor, you’re going to need to make sure your social media profiles don’t scare away clients. These guidelines can help you prevent a career disaster:

• Do not post political takes unless it’s a positive sign of support for everyone. Many content creators–voice actors included–have destroyed their careers by posting hate speech and conspiracies on their profiles. Until you find a hill you believe you need to die on, it’s best to just avoid politics.
• Do not get into arguments or drama on your public social media accounts. This includes arguing with fans, sending rude messages to people, or mentioning adult-oriented conversations on your platforms. Your social media should be treated like a company page — because it is. It is YOUR brand’s social media.
• Avoid any sort of X-rated, flirtatious, or overly personal private DMs on your social media. Just one major misstep or trusting the wrong person can end your career. It doesn’t always happen overnight, either. The best voice acting legends, like the late-great Kevin “Batman” Conroy, are respectful, wholesome, and cordial. Take their example for how to treat yourself and others in the public arena.
• Thank people for their support, even when you’re getting critiques. Lashing out at fans is never a good look. Nobody, neither an audience nor potential clientele, believes in a prima donna. They believe in those who recognize they cannot succeed without help and who are always willing to grow.
• Use common sense and keep your social media updated with tags of people you’ve worked with. Keeping your network open and always on the move makes a world of difference. Trust me on that.

FAQs

Here are answers to some frequent questions about becoming a voice actor that I heard as a talent booker:

Should you have a niche?

Niching down can be a smart move, particularly if you have one or two standout talents such as accents or bilingualism. Mentioning your niche can help people find you, especially if you keep your profiles keyword-heavy.

Do you need voice acting training?

Like with all things talent-related, schooling doesn’t always pay off. No employer or film company will turn you away because you don’t have formal schooling in this field. Otherwise the prolific Tress MacNeille would not be still working. The only reasons you may want to get training is to hone your skills or potentially network with other people in the field.

Do not bother putting training on your resume unless you just happen to like having it on there. At the end of the day, casting agents care about your demo reels and the finished product more than anything else.

What makes a good voice acting portfolio good?

Every employer will have their own ideas, but the truth is that most are looking for the following things:

1. Personality. What kind of personality does your voice have? Are you known for calm tones or do you sound like a supervillain?
2. Range. They want to see your vocal range as well as the range of emotions you can show. What types of original characters can you play, without impersonations? Can you play both kids and adults?
3. Clarity. Yes, you generally need to speak clearly to get a good tape.

The basic gist is that you need to show your range, your personality, and how talented you are.

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Do you need a microphone for voice acting?

YES. Do not rely on your phone to record. You need a mic and a pop filter, at the very least. You will not give the right sound quality for a demo reel with just a microphone. A reel not done with a mic and pop filter comes off as unprofessional — and you can’t afford that look if you’re just starting out. There are countless examples online on how to find the best equipment and make your own in-home recording booth (an industry standard post-pandemic). You do not need the most expensive tools to get started. But, if you want to work alongside the greats, you need to sound like you’re one of them.

That’s it! Now you know how to take the first steps to finding gigs as a voice actor. Get out there and show the world your talent!

Want more pro tips? Need advice about a different field? We’re making a whole series of beginner guides for putting together portfolios as an independent creative! Do you have experience in a specific creative field, such as working on a film set? Or are you trying to break into a field and need advice on how to put together a portfolio? Follow along with our newsletter, and reach out to us to contribute to this series!