Multiple Takes or Not: When, How, and Why
New voice actors often ask, “How many takes should I do for an audition?” and yet again the answer, as it is so often in voice-over is, “It depends.” In this post we’re going to talk about how many takes …
Wear One Hat at a Time: Researching, Acting, Directing, and Editing your Audition
Being a voice actor means owning your own small business. And, as with many small businesses, that means you have to manage a LOT of different roles…or in other words, you’ve gotta wear a lot of different hats: You have …
To Slate or Not to Slate? By Caroline Cole
To slate or not to slate? Indeed, my friends, that is the question. And one of the longest running debates in the voice-over world. While I’m certainly not going to answer the question once and for all in the next …
Recording With Diamonds: Does Expensive Equipment Book Jobs?
I have a confession: I don’t enjoy fancy restaurants. I’m not a food adventurer. I like to eat – I don’t like to dine. When I see a menu with spectacular, magical food names, I pine for the familiar. I …
Working Wednesday – Inside the Voice Actor’s Studio: Audiobook Auditions
As actors, our job is to audition. You’ve likely heard this before. Focus on the audition, not on the outcome. You may have heard it before, because it’s true! Today, we’re peeking into a day in the life in my …
Pile Politics: Getting the Client To Vote for You
Many of us played the game as children where we would close our eyes, walk down the sidewalk or hallway, and see how far we could travel without bumping into something. Even though we knew the environment, trying to remember …
Natural, Conversational, & Connected: Tips & Techniques For Commercial Voice Actors
“Casual and conversational; not announcer-y or character-y” “The tone should be conversational…” “Voice shouldn’t be too commercial-y or sales-y. Should be you in your normal voice not your polished VO voice. Should feel natural.” Ok, variety of casting specs, we …
Text Analysis: Time Saver or Time Suck?
Today we cover a tricky topic and one that’s often a lively debate among voice actors. Text analysis – is it worth the time? I can hear it now, the grumbling and sharpening of pitchforks in defense of the value …
Unleash the Covert Actor in You!
How many times have I heard that sentence from students in my Intro to Voice-Over class? A lot. In fact, I probably hear that sentence from a handful of voice-over hopefuls in almost every class I teach. I refer lovingly …
Working Wednesday: A Hot Take on Cold Reads
This week’s Working Wednesday is a hot take on cold reads. While voice-over artists may be tempted to fear the cold read or dismiss it as being simply a warm-up, hitting record and getting behind the microphone even with …
The Business of Being Unbusinesslike
Many voice-over students have job experience in the business world, or they have worked in a non-profit setting like a school, a charity, or a government office. All of these career experiences teach us to say words with business etiquette …
Staff Spotlight: Erika Ward
Erika Ward is a coach with SAV and has been doing voice-over professionally for nearly 10 years. She is also an author, actor, and (self-proclaimed) traveling philosopher. Let’s hear about her journey in the VO world. How did you first …