How to become an announcer?

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Natalia Aleinikova

Announcer, author blog about literacy, voice and speech.

First, decide if you want to make this your main profession or just strive to try something new in life.

I must say right away: if you have dreams not just about a voiceover career, but about a career in dubbing or voiceover of films, then without acting education it will be extremely difficult to get into this sphere complicated.

High-quality fundamental education is always a plus. The basis that you will need in the profession of an announcer is taught at the acting departments. However, it should be borne in mind that after 20 years it is very difficult to enroll in acting. Another way to get the necessary knowledge and skills is to study as a TV or radio journalist.

If getting an education as an actor or journalist is not an option for you, and your abilities are torn out, it is quite possible to go freelance and also try to get on the radio. Of course, first you will need to properly pump your skills in voice and speech.

I am aware of such methods.

Self-mastering the profession

This is reading thematic books, hanging on YouTube in the blogs of acting teachers, speech coaches, speech therapists. Doing exercises from books and blogs, practice with a voice recorder or microphone.

I love the Instagram blogs of colleagues like Ed Ratkevich, Olya Polovinkina, Inga Brick, Olga Kravtsova. In my blog, I also talk about how to learn to speak beautifully and competently, and show the everyday life of a freelance announcer without acting education.

From the books I can safely recommend “To be heard and understood"Vladimir Ulyanov,"I want to speak beautifully!"Natalia Rum,"Speak beautifully and confidently»Evgenia Shestakova.

Talking to a tutor or speech coach

This can be a teacher of stage speech from a specialized university or a professional announcer who is simultaneously engaged in training. The second option seems to me to be more successful, since the announcer can also share his specific experience of working with the microphone.

Education in a specialized school

There are a lot of schools in which voice training and correct speech are taught. For example, Speak Good (here I myself studied on the course with Sergey Vostretsov) or Strelkov School (Stanislav Strelkov is one of the best actors and dubbing teachers, mentor of many famous voice-overs). You can choose from various training packages, face-to-face or distance format, intensive courses or more detailed programs, with the support of a curator or with personal meetings with masters of dubbing.

Each of these methods is good in its own way. The main thing is to understand your starting level and the goals that you would like to achieve. If you yourself cannot evaluate your voice, I highly recommend taking a one-time consultation from a speech trainer who will thoroughly analyze all your strengths and weaknesses.

It is important to understand: being an announcer is not just about expressively reading texts. Professional voice control includes many things: breathing, plastic, the ability to relax your body, the work of resonators, control of your own timbre and range.

If you are ready to learn all this and do not expect instant results, then go ahead! Your efforts will be generously rewarded with the pleasure that a truly passionate person gets from their work.

And then... Before you know it, it's time to record your first demo and boldly send it to agencies from all over the world. Fortunately, in our time, even a pandemic cannot close the borders to freelancers. Good luck!