To close things out in our Voiceover Workshop NYC 2022 recap, I'm happy to share a few key things I've learned this year as a full time actor, voice artist, and musician.
My colleagues Sara and Emilea had so many valuable insights, like the rise of E-learning in the VO world as well as the idea that a successful and sustainable career in VoiceOver is a marathon, not a sprint.
Here are my key takeaways from 2022 in the world of Voiceover:
1. Building and maintaining relationships with directors, casting directors, and other actors is crucial.
2021 brought me the good fortune of working with Lauren Shippen, founder of Atypical Artists (a production company specializing in audio fiction and narrative podcasts). You can catch me on a few of their shows, including Maxine Miles and Rebel Robin: Surviving Hawkins.
Through working on our first project together (Maxine Miles), I was so lucky to meet an entire roster of gifted professionals: actors, producers, audio engineers, directors, etc. This network has lead to further jobs, auditions, and even more connections. Suffice to say, building your own network is key. Even from non-voiceover projects, you never know who might end up writing or directing a show and think of you!
2. You're auditioning your home studio just as much as your own voice.
Since the pandemic, home studio auditions, bookings, and recording sessions have become the norm. Casting directors and production companies are typically looking for industry-standard sound when sourcing auditions from actors. We've spent a lot of time since 2020 perfecting our home-studio setups and you should too! Consider booking a one-on-one home studio consultation with us to make sure you sound the best you can!
On the go? You can STILL find ways to produce industry level sound. For more information, check out our Travel Studio Setup video, hosted by Broadway's Krystina Alabado!
3. Bring your OWN voice to the material.
More often than not, we drive ourselves crazy trying to find that perfect ~character voice~ for an audition. With scripted podcasts and adult animated shows like Big Mouth becoming more popular, we're starting to hear less and less heavy character voices, and more authentic human voices.
That being said, there's still a huge market for BIG character sounds, especially in shows for Young Audiences and video games.
We try to find a happy medium here; we always advise our clients to analyze the spec of the project at hand and make an educated decision on how to proceed. That being said, YOUR voice is already special, and we love to hear what unique vocal qualities only your voice can lend to the character!
Keeping these three things in mind, it's always important to play around in your studio and find a sound YOU are happy with.
Let's make 2023 our most productive year yet. See you in the booth!