Do You Know What A Voice Over Artist Is?

Submitted by: Ravok

There are many different kinds of voice overs that everyone hears each and every day. They fill the airwaves with the information that makes our modern world go around.

A voice-over talent 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 a commercial to name a few. The voice over can be spoken by someone who the audience will see or by a specialist voice actor someone who the audience will not see. There are many devices to employ a voice-over with. These can be used in building character, creative influences in movies, education, or in advertising and marketing.

One of the most common ways to use voice overs is in TV and movies. For instance, cartoon characters (such as the children from the show 'South Park') are animated. They require voice talent 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 screen-actor who voices the characters. Obviously, using an actor's voice is critical to building the animated character and bringing them to life.

In other examples, there are no cartoon characters, but the need for off screen articulation is still there. A voice-over can be used to create an ironic counterpoint, or to make a statement in the movie. This is the creative device. It can be a member of the cast narrating, or miss-matched voices speaking and the speaking does not match the actors on screen. This creates a sense of imbalance and lends to the movies' inventiveness, such as the film 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', where this technique is used.

Moving away from use in films, voice-overs can also be used for educational or descriptive purposes. Our television news is presented 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 observations, especially when cast over the radio. There are also voice-overs that are used as a critique 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 production, voices are also used for advertising and marketing purposes. We don't the actor that is speaking in the advertising or marketing ad, but we hear it on televison, 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 well known and iconic voice-over artists are Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Hal Douglas, & James Earl Jones. These artists and the utilization of their articulation talents are very useful in many different facets of our daily lives. It is not just for show business. It can be used creatively and commercially, and almost all people come into contact with it on a regular basis.