The New York Times has an feature article on movie trailer voices, interviewing Hal Douglas, Don Morrow, Bill Ratner, and Marice Tobias.
The article, which includes a recent photo of Hal recording in the studio, offers background on what led him to pursue a career in voice-overs:
“I chased pretty girls into the drama department [at the University of Miami].” Acting became a passion; but passions, he said, don’t always pay the rent, especially in New York City. And so he went into radio and trained as an announcer, which later led to voice-over work.
“I’m not outstanding in any way,” he said. “It’s a craft that you learn, like making a good pair of shoes. And I just consider myself a good shoemaker.”
For a shoemaker Mr. Douglas is paid quite handsomely. He won’t quote figures, but he stands at the apex of a group of 15 to 20 voice actors whom Hollywood has deemed trailer-worthy. According to Ron Moler, the chief executive of the movie marketing studio Ignition Creative, these top voice actors typically earn between $1,800 and $2,200 per trailer. And it only takes them from 15 minutes to an hour to record one, making this very lucrative work for the few who can get it.
Continue reading: In A World of Trailers, Unseen Stars.
