Course Description

Hi there. I’m Marinda Botha

Thank you for considering taking this course. The voice over industry can sound very glamorous but the truth is, it takes a lot of hard work to achieve success in this business.

I have been in the voice over business for 14 years and 8 of those I spent working in the British voice over industry. I now work from my home recording studio, in South Africa, with numerous clients from across the world. I am also a lecturer with 6 years teaching experience. I hope this combination will serve you well.

Now in this course I start off quite technical, looking at microphone technique but then we move on to the essence of voice over performance, which I believe is acting. We look at dissecting your script, using and ignoring punctuation, finding your target audience and unearthing subtext from your script.

What tools do you need to enroll in this course? All you need is your computer and a willingness to learn. YOU DON’T NEED TO BUY A MICROPHONE. To be able to do the exercises, you may use the microphone on your mobile phone, or the one in your computer.

Acting for voice overs can be super fun. You can act the whole day long, even though you may have a bad hair day and want to stand barefoot behind the microphone. You can! All the listener is interested in, is the sound of your voice J

So if you are ready for the challenge and serious about becoming a professional voice actor, please enroll. There are 7 lessons to complete and a bonus video on the end. Hop to it!

Marinda Botha

I am a bilingual native speaker of Afrikaans and have a very neutral English accent. I am also experienced in the British voice over industry, as I spent 8 years living and working in London before moving back to South Africa. I am now based in Centurion, Gauteng, working from my home recording studio. In total I have 17 years experience in the Voice Over Industry. My voice has been described as warm, earthy, sensual, clear and authoritative. It lends itself well to corporate scripts like IVR, medical narration, e-learning, telephony and videos for web. I hold a Performing Arts Degree and love stretching my acting muscles in the booth. I also trained at The Actor’s centre and did an Advanced Acting for Radio course in London. I have also been teaching at a tertiary education institute in South Africa for 6 years.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Want to become a professional Voice Over Actor?

    • 1.How to become a Voice Actor

    • Section 1 Audio Lesson

    • Section1_Questionnaire

    • Section 1_Resources

    • Expanded notes on Video Lecture 1
  • 2

    Section: 2 - Fearing the microphone. Become tech-savvy!

    • 2.Fearing the microphone

    • Section 2 Audio Lesson

    • Section 2_Resources

    • Section 2_Exercise sheet

    • Expanded notes on Video Lecture 2
  • 3

    Your Target Audience. Speak to your one-person audience

    • 3.Your target audience

    • Section 3_Resources

    • Section 3_Exercise sheet

    • Expanded notes on Video Lecture 3
  • 4

    New ChapterMarking your script

    • 4.Marking your VO script

    • Section 4_Resources

    • Section 4_Exercise sheet

    • Expanded notes on Video Lecture 4
  • 5

    Punctuation - When not to use it.

    • 5.Punctuation marks

    • Section 5 Audio Lesson

    • Expanded notes on Video Lecture 5
  • 6

    Subtext- How to hook your listener

    • Section 6 Audio Lesson

    • 6.Subtext- How to hook your listener

    • Section 6_Exercise sheets

    • Expanded notes on Video Lecture 6
  • 7

    Hold onto the meaning!

    • 7.Carry the thought through

    • Section 7_Exercise sheet

    • Expanded noted on Video Lecture 7
  • 8

    Being a foreign voice over artist

    • 8.Foreign Voice Actors
  • 9

    What's next? Final thoughts.

    • Final Note