I think a lot of voice over actors don’t get the results they want behind the mic because they don’t take the time to put themselves into the proper state of mind before they record.

Think of it like deleting old your old emails and emptying your mental “in-box”. Few people do this. They jump behind the mic and take all of the stresses of the day with them as they begin to read. As I learned last weekend when I was visiting the race track, harness racing drivers and even their horses need to be in a winning state of mind before they compete. So do we.

The three tenants of voice over acting are relaxation, concentration and imagination.

You can’t do good voice overs if your body is tense and your mind is preoccupied.

Here’s my personal mindset checklist that I follow to clear my mind before every voice over audition or recording session.

1. Solitude: I always close the door and pend a few minutes alone with the copy before I record. Most performing artists do this as well, spending time alone to get centered before they take the stage.

2. Breathe: Deep breathing exercises are part of every relaxation routine because they work. Take a yoga class or consult one of the many books available on relaxation techniques

3. Do a mind scan: After I relax my body, I scan my mind.. If something is troubling me I use a technique I learned from Dr Keppe, my mentor in Brazil. It’s called interiorization. Here’s how it works. When someone bothers us it’s often because they remind us of something we don’t want to see in ourselves. Let’s say I had a disagreement with my boyfriend. I’m angry because he’s always late. I associate his attitude with selfishness. I then take a moment to try to see this same selfish attitude inside myself. If I’m honest, I’ll have to admit that I sometimes share these same attitudes. The more I can do that, the more I’ll calm down. For more information on Dr Keppe’s work see www.healingthroughconsciousness.com

4. Analyze the copy: To increase your chances of winning the voice over audition, you have to give an emotionally rich read that gives the auditor the feeling you intend and helps them form a clear movie in their mind. You do this by applying the 4 voice acting guideposts we teach in our Voice Over Bootcamp Recording Studio Immersion Experience and in my Voice Over Step by Step Home Study Starter System.

Copyright 2011, The Great Voice Company. All Rights Reserved.

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Susan Berkley is a top voice over artist and founder of The Great Voice Company, a company devoted to teaching great voices around the world how to become successful voice over actors. The Great Voice Company is an international leader in voice over training and in providing top quality voice over recordings in all languages to discerning businesses and marketers. For additional information visit www.greatvoice.com.

The Voice Over Success Mindset.