Diversify Your Voice-Over Business
“The play is not in the words, it’s in you!” – Stella Adler If you’ve spent any time acting, you’ve heard at least one Stella Adler quote. Another quote we hear all the time in our industry is, “Acting is …
What Other Options Do Voice Actors Have for DAWs Besides Audacity?
Before we dive into all the different programs out there, let’s start with the basics. A Digital Audio Workstation — or DAW — is simply the software you use to record, edit, and produce your audio. If you’ve ever opened …
Finding My Voice Again: Adapting to the Age of AI
For decades, my voice has been my livelihood, often quite literally. Commercials, narration, characters, e-learning modules, each one a new story told through tone, rhythm, and breath. My days were full of scripts, clients, late-night retakes, and that familiar hum …
Using Dialects to Build Authentic Video Game Characters
When I worked on Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, I played over forty different characters: Wildlings, Boltons, Stark Bannermen, Maesters-in-training, Nobles, and the everyday people of King’s Landing. And since the geography and culture of Westeros is based on the United …
It Doesn’t Have To Be So Scary!
It’s spooky season! Time for leaves to change colors, candy to be purchased in bulk, temperatures to drop (except in Texas, because fall is a myth here), and you to catch a fright from doing that very necessary but very …
Demos, Reels, and Samples: What’s The Difference?
At some point in every voice actor’s career, they need to start thinking about making a demo, a reel, or some samples. Oftentimes, people can get confused about the differences between these things and what they’ll need for different genres …
When to Do a Signal Chain and Recording Environment Audit (And Why It Matters)
Ever find yourself second-guessing your sound? “What’s that weird noise I’m hearing?”“My recordings don’t quite sound right.”“Oh no… I’m not hearing anything at all.”“Is my audio quality ready for this big project?” If you’re a voice-over artist, you’ve probably asked …
Building a Booth…Anywhere!
When you tell someone you’re a voice-over actor, they might picture you standing in a sleek, high-tech studio with glass windows, glowing lights, and racks of gear. For some, that is reality (or it used to be before the pandemic) …
Authenticity in VO
“Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” – Sanford Meisner. That quote is a classic for a reason. It’s also the simplest way to think about authenticity in voice-over. Authenticity doesn’t mean you have to bare your soul on every …
Political Voice-over: Styles That Win Votes and Where to Book the Work
When election season rolls around, campaigns are in full swing. Candidates are racing to make their case to the public, and one of the most powerful tools they use is the political commercial. At the heart of every strong political …
Why? Navigating Motivation in VO
Do you ever get that itch? You know, the one when it’s mid-week, your inbox is empty, no casting calls you fit are up, and you feel like you’re Left On Read with agents? And, to top it off, your …
Times Are a-Changing – and So Are Commercials
The landscape of voice acting is changing rapidly in this AI-influenced world. It’s gone from basically two platforms where your commercial skills can be heard – radio and tv – to countless digital advertising platforms, like Google, Meta, Amazon, YouTube, …