About Voice-Overs

Voice-overs are more fun than you can imagine! And they’re harder than you might think. While a pleasant-sounding voice is nice, it’s the ability to bring a script to life that’s most important.

Voice-overs pay well. Local talent typically earn $100-$200 per spot for play in the Sacramento market. More if it goes outside this market and much more if you do AFTRA union work and get residuals.

Voice-overs are fast - you usually spend less than one hour in the recording studio. And there are no costume-fittings or makeup.

It’s fun to hear your voice on the radio, especially when it comes out of someone else’s car radio in the lane next to you!

Think of it this way. Each commercial is a 60-second mini-drama. And the only tool you have to communicate your message with is your voice! No one sees your facial expressions or gestures. It doesn’t matter what you look like or how old you are. Using only your voice you can be warm & fuzzy, strong & authoritative, natural & real, compassionate & poignant, or insinuating & sarcastic. You can be young or old, hip or a geek.

Although the voice-over field is very competitive, there are many other opportunities for work in addition to voicing commercials. Voice talent are used to narrate corporate videos, television shows, computer software, video games, informational audio cassettes, telephone on-hold systems, books on tape, etc.

I offer a number of classes and workshops on voice-overs for all levels of experience:

Classes & Workshops

Break Into Voice-Overs - a 3-hour introduction to the field. In a classroom setting, learn about the full-range of delivery styles including hard sells, soft sells, dialogues, “real people” and corporate narrations. Listen to examples and learn how to analyze them. We also cover job opportunities, auditioning and demo tapes. A few student volunteers will read from actual scripts and are critiqued. Class size is limited to 30. Fee is $49. Register through the Learning Exchange, (916) 929-9200 or online at www.learningexchange.com.

Next class: Thursday, September 20, 6:30-9:30 pm

Thursday, November 1, 6:30-9:30 pm

Voicing Commercials - an all-day workshop held in a state-of-the-art Sacramento recording studio. You are directed as you record three different commercials - your choice of either a hard sell or soft sell, a dialogue and a humorous testimonial that you write. We work with real scripts and music beds. This class also covers how to market yourself. Your spots are dubbed onto CD which is yours to keep. The class is limited to 12 people. Fee is $139. Register through the Learning Exchange, (916) 929-9200 or online at www.learningexchange.com.

Next class: Saturday, August 4, 9am-4pm

Saturday, September 29, 9am-4pm

Saturday, November 10, 9am-4pm

Voice-Over Intensive - advanced voice-over training in a classroom setting for people who have experienced the studio recording process. This 3-week long six-session in-depth workshop is offered only three tines a year. We cover the full range of delivery styles including soft sells, hard sells, dialogues, character voices, corporate narrations, “real people” and radio drama. The focus is on script interpretation, critique and practice. You also learn how to market yourself. The class is limited to 8 people. Fee is $295. For information, please call Susan Hayward, (916) 921-6646.

Next class: Monday & Wednesday nights, beginning in October, TBD

Susan Hayward has performed as voice-over and on-camera talent in thousands of radio & television commercials and corporate industrials for markets throughout the country. She also narrated a nationally-broadcast 13-episode TV series for PBS and has voiced CD-ROMs, books-on-tape and voice-mail systems.

Susan’s been the voice of two turkeys, a fresh fish, a Harley biker chick, a tortoise & a hare, a witch, an overbearing New York mother, a southern belle, a Victorian house, a stripper, a fat lady and others too embarrassing to mention!

During her career, she’s received nearly twenty awards for talent. They include a CLIO, Telly and Silver Microphone, plus awards from International Radio Festival of New York, London International Advertising, Retail Advertising Conference, California Office of Tourism, NFLCP Hometown USA Video Festival, Sacramento Advertising Club and other industry organizations.

In an advertising and media career that spans twenty-five years, Susan’s been a copywriter, producer and director as long as she’s been doing VOs. Her expertise as a developer and shaper of messages, enables her to better communicate them as a voice-over artist. After a decade working for various Sacramento radio stations, she opened her own business as a communications consultant in 1985.

Since then, Susan has provided training in voice-overs, television performance and presentation skills for corporate, government and private clients. Clients include SMUD, Wells Fargo, Sacramento Bee, National Public Radio, Comcast, Hewlett-Packard, IMAX, CA Dep’t of Education, CA Dep’t of Conservation, CA Dep’t of Health & Human Services, The Money Store and others. On an ongoing basis, she offers three classes through the Learning Exchange plus a private advanced voice-over class.