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Blog

Feedback that Strikes a Chord

August 30, 2022 by Alan Shires

Ever had a setback? Ever been told something which is hard to hear? Great, you’re reading the right article!

As voice actors, we find ourselves in a melody of chaos when it comes to competing in a heavily saturated market. We find ourselves lost in a symphony of different tasks needed to run a business. I am not talking about the creative tasks but more the business tasks! The bookkeeping, the marketing, the social media, and everything else it takes to make a business run. It is wild! But what do we do when we have a setback? Here is the thing, life is full of setbacks and in the vast majority of situations things don’t go as we planned. The exciting thing about any journey often isn’t the destination but more how we get there. Now, I am a late 20’s skinny 5ft 8, northern British male with more enthusiasm than I know what to do with but recently I was told “I am not tall enough and my accent will be a challenge.’’ This was not easy to hear, it was frustrating and for a moment it was a setback. Does this sound familiar? 

Take a moment to reflect on your setbacks. Have you ever had feedback from someone who just hit the wrong chord? Well, let us work out how we can get our rhythm back after some hard to hear comments!

In performance, we can always try something different and critique our show, but going back to my earlier feedback, what about my height? Well, guess what, that is not changing! The good news is, it doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t matter! Someone who is 6ft 2 isn’t going to get the job listed for someone 5 ft 4. Though I missed out on a gig for a 5ft 10 role, at least I still have access to roles for my height. It is about using what you have to your advantage not about drowning in what you don’t have! ‘’Don’t stop! Don’t quit! Don’t give up! Know you are perfect just as you are and utilise your unique perfections to your advantage!’’ What about accents? We can also work on this but, similar to the above, I may not have access to RP or Standard American, but when something comes up which needs a Northern voice, competition is less fierce! I had the pleasure of discussing this with Casting Director, Randall Ryan, who gives his perspective below, from a casting side as opposed to a performer’s side. Here is my top tip after speaking with Randall. Don’t stop! Don’t quit! Don’t give up! Know you are perfect just as you are and utilise your unique perfections to your advantage!

 

“My mental goal is always to have a very difficult casting decision because the submissions are so good.

 

ALAN SHIRES: How many actors do you get per audition and what are the challenges with casting? 

RANDALL RYAN: There’s no one answer for this. I tend to control the audition process, having learned over the years that if you open it up to too many channels you get too many auditions, and the majority aren’t going to make the cut. The myth of the “diamond in the rough” coming out of 2000 submissions is just that: a myth. If there is a bell curve, the high/low for the big part of the bell would be 50 and 20 auditions for each role. Higher numbers tend to be because I’m looking for something really specialized. The challenges vary as well. One project might need the actors to have a very specific voice print to match someone (generally a real person). Others may require a niche accent or a deep emotive range. My mental goal is always to have a very difficult casting decision because the submissions are so good.

 

“It’s about acting, and it’s about the social and professional dance with the client and the director.

 

ALAN SHIRES: When you teach voice talent what is your number one message to drive home?

RANDALL RYAN: It’s not about your voice. It’s about acting, and it’s about the social and professional dance with the client and the director. As a subtext, it’s also about your ability to listen and interpret, and then quickly process and produce on the fly. Be authentic; “wear the skin” of the character, so to speak. Johnny Depp became Captain Jack Sparrow. Misty Lee owns Lady Liadrin in Hearthstone and World of Warcraft. And so on. They are more than the voices of those roles: they shaped those roles. Not every character is as deep or complicated, but there’s usually more than just the veneer, and it’s that deep grain that’s waiting for you to rearrange it and give it the intricacy that takes it from two dimensional to complex. Another is to remember that in voice acting, you are throwing away all of the other big tools: facial expressions, body movements, stances, clothing, hair, costuming. You still have to convey what those things would normally shortcut, it’s just that they have to be conveyed with your voice. Still, another is that your job is not actually to act. That’s your skill, certainly. But your job is to train, to audition, to become a decent engineer, to continually upgrade your studio, to learn to network and market.

 

ALAN SHIRES: Is there space for ALL accents in the industry?

RANDALL RYAN: 100% yes. It’s easy to look at your own country, of course. It’s not just a British or American accent; it’s Yorkshire, Georgia, Manchester, West Country, Boston. The same goes for other accents. It’s not just Russian, it’s Georgian, Muscovite, the Ural Steppes, etc. Or it’s Austrian as opposed to German. Of course, acting is still essential. The point is that a specific accent shouldn’t hold you back. I will suggest that if you possess a niche accent and you want to work more regularly it may be necessary for you to develop the ability to become fluent within something with more opportunities. But the ability to hone in on your native accent or adopt the tongue and vernacular of a region you grew up in will often land you roles that others simply can’t do credibly.

 

ALAN SHIRES: What makes an artist stand out?

RANDALL RYAN: If I think back to the people who made me sit up and say to myself, “Who IS this person?”. The number one reason would be something about their acting that was unteachable; an innate understanding or fearlessness to go to a place that took a role to another level. Even though I do say, “it’s not about your voice,” there are those people whose voice absolutely captured my attention. It could be their bearing and the energy they brought to the session. There are times that an actor and a director are just so on the same page that it becomes as if one thinks it and the other conveys it, which can be arresting.

ALAN SHIRES: Is musical experience helpful for a VO? If so how?

RANDALL RYAN: That’s best answered by my unscientific, anecdotal observation that somewhere around 70% of the great actors have a musical background. Understanding music principles provides shortcuts for acting; they’re cut from the same creative vein running through the shale. Music and acting are so intertwined that I often speak in musical terms to actors. “Raise that a full step.” “Slow your tempo 5-7 beats/minute.” “Flatten out your melody.” I’ll give them a cadence in lieu of a line read, or even a musical analogy. Especially in video games and animation, the actor is often more jazz soloist, riffing off the script instead of reading copy. The great ones have a sixth sense to know, when to push, when to change verbiage, when to ignore punctuation or to honor it. The best teams are the ones where everyone else: the director, the writer, the developer (or whoever the client is) recognizes when to pull the actor back, or more importantly when to stay out of the way. An actor who can convey that she knows what she’s doing, with the grace to respect all of the other team members, is going to be in high demand!

 

 

Interviewee:

Randall Ryan
Video Game Casting Director

 

 

 

 

Interviewer:

Alan Shires
Voice Artist and
VON Business Development Manager

 

Filed Under: Blog, Blog Tagged With: Interview, Randall Ryan

The Method of Making it in Anime

August 30, 2022 by Mami Okada

Top Anime Casting Director Mami Okada shares some great tips for those who want to make it in Anime

 

Mami Okada
Casting Director and Director of Operations at
Bang Zoom! Entertainment

 

How did you come to be a Casting Director?

To cut a long story short, I came to the States as an International student and secured an internship with Bang Zoom, at the time the company was very small and only had three other people working there. They were just starting out but they had a big series already and I came on as its first intern, then I just stuck around and it’s been 20 years now! I really didn’t know anything about Anime prior to starting at Bang Zoom because I didn’t really watch it when I was in Japan. When I arrived in the States I realized how huge it actually is!

 

What do you enjoy about your job?

There Are so many things that I enjoy. Sometimes even actors who I have been working with for years can still surprise me. I can hear a new voice from an actor that I’ve worked together with for years. It can be different experience every day and often very challenging but that is what keeps me going and my work interesting,

 

How has the industry changed since you started out?

So many changes are happening in the Anime industry. It’s definitely changed dramatically since when I first started the job. It used to be that only a very small group were passionate about English versions of Anime, now it is becoming more mainstream. There is more attention coming from places like video games and it changes the way I think and approach my work.

 

Tell us about the process you use to cast an Anime series…

The casting process is not the same every time. In general, when we get a series from our clients we discuss with our producers to find out what they’re expecting to hear when it comes to auditions. The final decisions will be up to the producers and sometimes the creators in Japan. We’ll discuss the requirements and then we’ll decide which roles we need to do auditions for.

 

How do you choose who to audition?

I select group of actors who are most likely to fit in a role or come close to the range of the character. I will send around 10 characters to each actors so they can choose which one they understand or connect with the most. I will send that out to about 25 actors at most, then I’ll narrow it down to a shortlist and submit them to the producers.

If a character requires something very specific by the producers that I haven’t found, I will reach out to agents. Agents might have someone who would be perfect for the project we are looking to cast.

 

What are you looking for when you are casting an English version of Anime?

We have to be respectful to the original performance when casting English versions. We take the directions from the original voice so we look for the voices that are similar to the original. We are never looking for a perfect fit but they should bring the same energy and emotion to the performance. We definitely focus more on that than who sounds like the Japanese voice. That can be your direction and then you need to make your own character. We still need to make sure that the character performance will fit visually with the animation. Performance is crucial when it comes to casting.

The performance has to come from the heart. I always suggest actors should make sure ti have all the emotions reachable. Keep your emotion within your reachable range stored in mental “drawers”. open the “drawer” and get the emotion. In the next moment, you’re going to open a different “drawer” and get to that emotion.

 

Do you have to have an Anime demo to work in the genre?

I personally don’t think you need to have a special Anime demo. A lot of actors have commercial demos and character animation demos. I’m not sure about the other casting directors but for me, I like to listen to both of them. I love to actually listen to anything and everything you’ve got. As I mentioned, Anime can be cinematic or it can be wacky or cartoony, I love to listen to the range of the actors.

 

Is being able to do ADR essential?

It’s definitely essential to be able to do ADR, which is the process in which you match your performance to the video. It’s not only animation that is a preferred skill for, but also tons of foreign language tv shows that adapt to other languages. All the big steaming services are grabbing good foreign titles and dubbing them into English or other languages so it’s really busy and it’s good for you to learn the skills of how to do it. It might feel a little intimidating at first because you have a beat’s timecode and you have a restricted time that you can perform, but eventually, it will come to you more naturally. It’s a lot like music – when you’re listening to the music, you know when to start singing. It’s a similar concept. I recommend taking classes o ADR because if you book your first gig and don’t know what to do, your nerves about doing the technical aspects will affect your performance.

 

Mami Okada’s Top Tips for delivering a successful lip sync!

  • Practice a neutral American accent.
  • Trust the script.
  • Preview the original language if the studio allows you to watch the original video.
  • Quickly look at the line, then quickly memorize.
  • Pay attention to the actual lift movement so you can practice during the preview.
  • Keep the rhythm.
  • Have a reason for performance choices.
  • Watch Anime in both languages if you can. Stop, rewind, switch the audio channel, and try to perform alongside the original voice.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Anime, Blog, Blog Tagged With: Mami Okada

Brand Brilliance

August 26, 2022 by Celia Siegel

Celia Siegel is the author of the popular book VoiceOverAchiever, and founder of Celia Siegel Management, widely recognized for developing strong personal brands for voice talent. As an experienced brand building pioneer, certified life and business coach, success strategist and former talent agent turned manager, Celia has advanced the careers of top VO talent for more than two decades. Celia’s multi-leveled expertise and extensive knowledge of the ever-changing voiceover industry has helped voice actors, across the globe, successfully brand and grow their VO businesses.

We caught up with her to ask her a few of our most pressing questions.

What motivated you to write VoiceOverAchiever?

I have always known I was going to write a book. From a pretty young age, I have been interested in success factors, positive psychology, and the concept of branding. So this book has been wanting to be written for a long time. Because I love connecting with people and building and branding their careers as artists and business people, I decided it was time. I made a commitment to doing it and set aside a bit of time each day. Et Voila, VoiceOverAchiever was born! It felt like the right thing to do — the best way to share my expertise with the whole VO community. What is a common question that people ask you about voiceover branding? A few questions come up again and again. Number one: I don’t think I have a brand — how do I figure out what my brand is? 

When I look at people I can see their brand immediately. It’s so obvious to me — like they are wearing a sticker on their forehead. But of course, it’s harder to see your own brand when you look in the mirror. Yes, you have a brand. It’s not something you create out of thin air. It’s about owning who you already are and what people already say about you. But oftentimes, people spend so much time trying to be what they think they should be, they lose sight of this. It takes some exploring to rediscover the essence of your brand.

 

Another one: What if my brand turns somebody away from me or makes them not use my voice? 

This is the most powerful of all the questions. Going through the branding process, you learn exactly who you are trying to attract and how to connect with the right people. When you find those automatic yeses, you will also find some automatics no’s. Great brands repel as many as they attract. To flip that idea: If your brand is so safe that everybody sort of likes it, nobody will really like it and actually choose you. I call that being a beige wall.

Branding is not bragging — it is simply explaining who you are to your clients. You are the product and it’s important that you can tell them what they are getting.

Another concern people have is that branding is bragging.  

Branding is not bragging — it is simply explaining who you are to your clients. You are the product and it’s important that you can tell them what they are getting. Sometimes I do grounded humble brands and sometimes I do really big bold show-offy brands. Muhammed Ali’s brand fit him like, well, a boxing glove. But that’s because he was being true to himself. When you go through my methodology, the brand you come up with will feel like your favorite pair of slippers and fit like a bespoke suit. It will be uniquely yours.

Filed Under: Blog, Blog Tagged With: Celia Siegel

Vocal Acrobatics

August 26, 2022 by D'Arcy Smith

“…before you run off and join this circus, make sure you
do a little work on your acrobatic skills.

The video game industry is growing exponentially and shows no signs of slowing down. But before you run off and join this circus, make sure you do a little work on your acrobatic skills. Working in video games means you need to be a vocal acrobat who can sound like they have been set on fire, but survive to come back the next day. By now most people know that voice acting for video games can be extremely demanding and can leave actors bleeding. Most actors have no idea what being shot at should sound like, let alone how to create these sounds in a healthy way. I’ve sat in sessions where actors make it up on the spot, approach it emotionally (which is also mentally stressful), or hurt themselves, just to please the director.

The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) had a strike about this  issue three years ago and now stipulates that sessions including these extremes can only occur for two hours at a time. Still, two hours of screaming like you are on fire, thrown out of a plane, being electrocuted, or dying in poisonous gas is vocally stressful. Even though the sessions are shorter now, the number of lines recorded is intense. Most sessions record about 90-120 lines an hour. Actors will sometimes get the script a day before, but sometimes they don’t see it until they are in the booth, so there is no time to prepare or know what you are walking into.

Five years ago I was teaching a class at Rapier Wit, a combat school in Toronto, Canada, after Daniel Levinson was kind enough to give me a space to work. I was approached by Ivan Sherry, John Nelles, and later Kim Hurdon, who wanted to know if this voice work could be used to help video game actors. While I was already training actors to do vocally extreme work, this was next level. The challenge was not only being able to create these sounds in the healthiest way possible, but make sure they were extreme, believable and that the actor could sustain their voice through the two hour session – and then recover well enough to record the next day. With the help of Kim Hurdon (Kim Hurdon Casting) and Katelyn Reid (SLPUC Health) I created a methodology called Vocal Combat Technique to help actors create these sounds. We then tested the technique and found it reduced fatigue by 50% and improved recovery time by 60%. They could metaphorically “breathe fire” and come back the next day.

“When should you see a doctor? Most people find that their voice returns to normal after 48-72hrs. Doctors say to see an ENT specialist if you are hoarse after a recording session and that hoarseness persists for two to three weeks.

With the help of Kim Hurdon (Kim Hurdon Casting) and Katelyn Reid (SLPUC Health) I created a methodology called Vocal Combat Technique to help actors create these sounds. We then tested the technique and found it reduced fatigue by 50% and improved recovery time by 60%. They could metaphorically “breathe fire” and come back the next day. If you haven’t been able to train with someone in vocal combat or voice for video games, here are some top tips to help you to stay healthy before entering the big top tent.

  1. Get and stay hydrated. It can take anywhere from one to four hours to hydrate your vocal folds so make sure you are hydrated before and during the session. The folds are not a muscle, they are a membrane and the mucosa that covers them protects them. Drink water during the session.
  2. Ask for a break. Most directors/ designers would rather you take a five minute break to rest and come back than have you keep pushing through and have to cancel the session. If you need a break, ask for one.
  3. Guide the session. You can ask to have more extreme lines come later, especially if they don’t involve words. 
  4. Warm up and rest afterwards. Make sure you vocally warm up before the session and take time to cool down and have time for vocal rest afterwards.
  5. Prepare for the session by doing your homework. If you are a video game player you will have an idea of what it sounds like when you get shot, if you don’t play video games, that’s fine, but listen to some game play.

“The power and exhilaration of screaming and shouting can be thrilling: just like walking a tightrope. Make sure you have trained for the moment and have a safety net, because this circus isn’t for everyone!

When should you see a doctor? Most people find that their voice returns to normal after 48-72hrs. Doctors say to see an ENT specialist if you are hoarse after a recording session and that hoarseness persists for two to three weeks. The power and exhilaration of screaming and shouting can be thrilling: just like walking a tightrope. Make sure you have trained for the moment and have a safety net, because this circus isn’t for everyone!

 

D’Arcy Smith
Vocal Coach & Voice Actor

Filed Under: Blog, Blog Tagged With: D'Arcy Smith

Pixing Your Best Performance

August 26, 2022 by Rachael Naylor

How does the casting process work at Pixar Animation Studios?

Kevin ReherFirstly we create animatics (a preliminary version of a film, produced by shooting successive sections of a storyboard and adding a soundtrack). The animatics are updated every 16-24 weeks. Essentially, the movie is made up and then torn apart many times! During this phase of development we use scratch actors to voice the characters. We have many Pixar players that we use for our characters’ voices and we use the recordings to build the animatics.

Natalie LyonAll of our movie ideas are homegrown and we don’t accept external pitches. Some of our directors come with ideas about who they want to cast – and others don’t! We take ideas from anyone on the crew, in the studio, basically anyone from within Pixar Animation Studios. We also have a casting database. Whenever we audition an actor, we pull clips and add them to our database of 1000+ actors.

KRWe look for good actors who can evoke and create characters through their voices. Appearances are not important to us – it’s all about the voices. We like natural sounding voices and rarely ask actors to make up a voice. When we’re presenting an actor to a director, we’ll often do interviews because that gets you as close as possible to the natural voice. As director and voice actor, Andrew Stanton says, “Funny is money!” And, when characters don’t have a lot of backstory, humour is particularly important. Vocal getability is really important in animation and your voice needs to be instantly identifiable as a type. Animators love a textured voice – an undulating voice is much more fun to animate than one that is more steady. 

I like this quote from Chief Creative Officer of Pixar Animation Studios, Pete Docter, he says “As your character grows and changes, you’ll by necessity need to start them in a flawed place. The key then to great casting is to find an actor who can play that flaw with appeal, so you can camouflage the flaw as being fun to watch…you’ll want to make sure your actor can play the character in a way that makes us totally charmed by them – and then their strength and depth will be a rich surprise for us as an audience.”

NLWe take ideas from agents and directors – it’s not always the case that Pixar movies are easy to cast – you might think that everyone jumps at the chance, but there are often conflicting schedules and commitments, and also, in animation, actors might only ever voice one leading character – so they want to make sure it’s the right one.We send scenes to agents and their talent will self-record. A lot of the time it is simply on their phones – at this stage we don’t expect them to have perfect audio quality. Once we hone in on the auditions that are potentially right for the part, the director and producer will pitch the film to the actor and have a discussion to make sure everyone is on the same page. There will sometimes be a working audition where the director gets to work with the actor on the character, or an animation test to make sure that the voice and the animation of the character is a good fit.

KRWe also need to ensure that the cast fits together. It is amazing how many people actually sound like each other! We cut all of the voices and the animation into one clip, so that it’s really clear who all the different characters are. We have to avoid casting too early – or too late. Some animated films take four years to make, but they can easily take seven years and over that time the characters evolve. In the end, we just hope that we get it right!

 

How has animation casting changed over the years?

KRPixar’s commitment to diversity is the biggest change I’ve seen. The opportunity for diversity starts with the story; if the script is written by a story artist who draws diverse characters, then it can be cast that way too.

NLTechnology and self recording has really changed the people we can reach out to, and in turn, the voices we get to listen to – so it means there are more opportunities for more people.

 

Where do you find actors for your database?

NLThe database is pulled from clips of previous auditions. Just because someone hasn’t been right for something in the past doesn’t mean that they won’t be right for something in the future. When agents submit demos, we always put the demos on the database. So we keyword those: ‘French,’ ‘Funny,’ etc.

KR In general, if people do send a demo they often send an animation reel – which is exactly what you need if you’re into video games, but for animation we want to hear your natural voice and personality. To that effect,  narration demos are more useful to us – less animated but not too dry.

 

What is the best way to break into animation voice acting?

KR You can’t get in unless you’re hired and you can’t get hired unless you’re in! So, get an agent.

NLGet into theatre and improvisation, because you’ll be working on your voice and getting exposure to other actors and people within the industry where you can network. You can gain some really valuable insights on what casting directors are looking for by simply listening to other peoples’ experiences. Meet and learn from as many people as you can.

 

What do successful animation voiceover actors have in common?

KR They are great at doing repetitions (repeating one line of script in many different ways). They have voices that really pop and they give us confidence that if the director hires them, they are going to be able to perform.

NL They are great improvisers, can play with a script and have fun while still being able to hit the lines. Flexibility is super important and always being prepared!

 

Can you tell us more about Loop Groups?

NL A Loop Group is when a group of actors go into a recording booth to fill the landscape of sound for all the extras, crowd scenes and sometimes actors’ dialogue. Loop groups are made up of a group of voice actors who are capable of voicing multiple characters with just a few lines each. This highly collaborative team are local voice actors who work together to bring to life these few lines of script and are often credited as additional voices.

 

How can voice actors make the casting process easier for you?

NL Be prepared and be open in the audition. New ideas are great, but you must be able to deliver the lines as written.

KR Too weird doesn’t land with the directors, neither does anything that is too boring! Show your versatility, capability and humour! If you have been asked to audition, your audition must reflect your best performance, and that should also be reflected in the quality of your recording.

 

What’s your favourite thing about your job?

NL We’re privileged to work with so many people, with so many great ideas, all the time! Unlike other departments that might be working exclusively on one film for four years, we get to work on all of them!

KR For a lot of people, being in a Pixar movie is a dream come true – making that happen is really cool!

 

Show your versatility, capability and humour! If you have been asked to audition, your audition must reflect your best performance, and that should also be reflected in the quality of your recording. We look for good actors who can evoke and create characters through their voices. Appearances are not important to us – it’s all about the voices. We like natural sounding voices and rarely ask actors to make up a voice.

 

Kevin Reher
Pixar Animatio Studios
Casting Director

Natalie Lyon
Pixar Animatio Studios
Casting Director

Interviewer:
Rachael Naylor
Voice Actor, Editor of The Buzz Magazine
and Founder of The VoiceOver Network

Filed Under: Blog, Blog Tagged With: Pixar

Dubbing in the Cloud

August 24, 2022 by Raul Aldana

In 1987, inspired by the exploits of my hero Bruce Springsteen, who five years earlier had released his album “Nebraska” – produced on a 4-track cassette recorder: the famous Tascam 144 – I bought Tascam’s “Porta Two”, which was an improved version of “The Boss” mystical recorder. I started playing around with it and then producing multitrack recordings of some quality from my home. I made music and voiceover demos and, in fact, even made a radio show that way, but I was still far from having producers accept a home recording. They wouldn’t even accept castings recorded in this way.

A short time passed, and we started digitizing. Goodbye, tapes – long live Pro Tools! And we all know how the story went on. Digital technology, which was prohibitively expensive in the beginning, became more democratic, and we started to set up our home studios, and we all became true Alan Parsons. Remote connection with elitist ISDN codecs arrived, but this was superseded by Source Connect and more economical options such as ipDTL, ConnectionOpen and, if not, at least Skype. Long live connectivity! But… what about video synchronization for dubbing? One small problem: latency. During my last year at Disney, I supervised my projects using Blue Jeans, the video conference system, connecting the studio console to the computer to listen to my actors’ performances in real-time, and also supervising the dialogue editing. But the video component was still missing. Latency! That’s when someone told me about a crazy method for recording on the cloud. What? Recording using my browser with a USB microphone? Ha!

The dubbing industry, I’ve said it before, is an industry at odds with itself and reluctant to change.

The dubbing industry, I’ve said it before, is an industry at odds with itself and reluctant to change. After I departed from Disney, I found myself face with that dilemma and my own lack of appetite for change. Then that crazy idea from months before came back to me, now with a job proposal, and I fell in love with the possibility of starting the change by combining innovation and experience. Finally, a platform that allowed us to connect in real-time with the director to record lip-sync projects with quality, and without latency: ZOODubs. I started inviting the best and most avant-garde colleagues I knew, and they initiated the change. ZOODubs represents the democratization of dubbing also, because after meeting some technical requirements and passing some simple tests, the actors get in touch with the best dubbing directors in different languages without having to go through the long period of visiting studios to get a chance to record. Today I record with my best talents regardless of their physical location, opening the doors that previously were not available to actors living outside the big cities where the industry traditionally operates. Of course, there were (and still are) those who do not believe in things like that (such a thing).

Today the dubbing industry is living a historic moment thanks to the amount of content available. In the face of the current pandemic, the industry came to standstill, and content producers and distributors began to focus their attention on dubbing done at a distance. The actors and directors who believed in and developed this option have not stopped working, and today they are recording all day every day. Other content localization companies are trying to develop their own platforms, and that benefits all of us voice talents and invites us to change, giving us options for work in the future and in these times of involuntary isolation. If you want to approach ZOO Digital, follow this link: https://www.zoodigital.com/work-with-zoo/voice-talent

And yes! I still have my “Porta Two” in the glass cabinet where I keep all the gadgets that made me who I am.

 

By: Raul Aldana
Voiceover Artist, Director and Casting Director

Filed Under: Blog, Blog Tagged With: Raul Aldana

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    The VoiceOver Network is a Limited Company. Registered in England & Wales, Company number: 09393690
    Registered Address: Unit 4 Grovelands, Boundary Way, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 7TE

    Member’s Email: memberservices@thevoiceovernetwork.org
    General Enquiries: info@thevoiceovernetwork.org

    Laura

    With a strong background in marketing in the membership sector as well as broadcast and media, Laura heads up our Marketing Team here at VON. Her hands have appeared in Hinterland, a Welsh Noir TV series, uncovering bones as an SA and she’s raved for several hours straight in a feature film also shot in Wales. Laura has a deep appreciation for the talent and creativity of voice acting so working at VON is the perfect place to be.

    Emma

    Emma has experience working in the UK and US, with a background in the media industry, having worked for broadcasters such as BBC and ITV.
    She is an aspiring voiceover artist and PhD student, currently writing her first novel

    Dale Tulmo

    Dale is a web developer with years of experience in both front end and back end development. He is also a graphic designer with experience working in the graphic design industry.

    Tanya Dickinson

    Tanya has over 20 years as an Executive Assistant, before turning her hand to becoming a Virtual Assistant.
    She loves to organise, is a self-confessed to-do list addict and provides Rachael with the admin support she requires.
    In her spare time she is mum to one son and plays for a ladies football team!

    Hannah Illingworth

    Ops Manager

    Hannah is an experienced, highly organised Business Manager and the owner of Hi!Virtual, specialising in supporting business owners with establishing strong foundations on which to build their business. She’s also a part-time musician in the British Army!

    Alan Shires

    Business Development Manager, Voiceover Artist

    Having started in TV and theatre, Alan discovered voiceover in 2016 and quickly fell in love with the industry. Now he is an award-winning voiceover artist as well as a successful performance capture actor and entrepreneur.

    Alan is a British voiceover based in Leeds, UK, with a friendly, story-telling voice that is complemented with a hint of a northern English accent. Having delivered motivational talks and having established clients from all around the world, Alan is a big advocate for seeing everyone succeed and unlocking their potential.

    Heather Scott

    Finance Officer

    With over 25 years in accounting Heather has worked as a self-employed contractor in a number of industries including music, publishing, golf, education and baby clothing. She brings her wealth of experience to our team co-ordinating the accounts and admin.

    Sara Cristy

    Technical Support / Web Development. Actress and Software Engineer

    Sara is an Actress for Film, TV, Voiceover and Mocap, and also a Software Engineer with years of experience in both backend and frontend development.

    With a background in Software Engineering, at the age of 24, she fully decided to fight her way through the arts as it has been her greatest passion ever since she was a teenager. She moved to London soon after her graduation, studied Strasberg’s Method and began her professional Acting career at the end of 2016, whilst keeping her Software Engineering career too.

    Rachael Naylor

    Founder and Owner

    As well as running The VoiceOver Network, Rachael is a busy voiceover artist, actress, writer, award-winning entrepreneur and a mother of two girls.

    Rachael’s love for acting started at a young age when she was inspired by her actor Grandfather and loved seeing him perform in the West End. She trained as an actress at Richmond Drama School and soon after graduating, discovered voiceovers and absolutely loved working in this area of the industry. Rachael has been a voiceover artist for over 20 years and during that time has worked with a huge range of top brands including Virgin Media (yes, she’s their telephone voice), CNN, Nestlé, Olay, Sure, Channel 5, The Travel Channel and many more. In addition, Rachael has worked with Derek Jacobi and Hayley Atwell in The Martian Chronicles radio drama and voiced three One Direction films.

    Her voiceover agent is Excellent Talent. As an actress, Rachael has worked in TV, film and theatre as well as on commercials for brands such as Persil. Her acting agent is Comedy Actors, London. Rachael is co-author of the Amazon best-selling book, ‘Shine: …it’s like glitter for your soul! ’, and contributing author of a second Amazon best-selling book, ‘Believe: … it’s like glitter for your soul! ’.

    Rachael is passionate about sharing her knowledge and experience with others in the industry and in 2014, officially established The VoiceOver Network, which aims to bring the industry together. She won the Entrepreneurs Circle’s, ‘Entrepreneur of the Year for London and the South 2014’ award, not only for her work on her voiceover business, but also with The VoiceOver Network. Rachael was also a finalist at the 2014 National Entrepreneur Awards for ‘Best Business Enabler’ for her work with The VoiceOver Network. She finds business and marketing fascinating and enjoys the challenges of running her businesses.

    In her spare time, Rachael loves sport, is a keen snowboarder and scuba diver and likes to run to keep fit.

    Leisa Reid Fisicaro

    Business Operations Manager, Voiceover Artist

    A seasoned broadcast writer, producer and director, Leisa has spent more than seventeen years involved in creating and producing high quality Television and Media programmes for top American broadcasters; PBS, NBC and Discovery Channel. Award-Winning Producer with a FREDDIE, an International Health and Medical Media Award plus several nominations throughout her career.

    As a writer / producer she quickly learned the power of ‘voicing’ and in a twist of fate, she was asked to voice a scratch-track and that’s all it took for her to be enchanted by the magical world of voiceover. Leisa has trained with professional voice artists in voicing medical, children’s and lifestyle documentary narration.

    As a stage performer, Leisa studied Dance for over twenty years and has travelled throughout America competing and performing professionally.

    Lorraine Hodgson

    Social Media Manager, Voiceover Artist

    Lorraine is a UK based Actor and Voiceover Artist. Her passion for Acting started at an early age when she loved to watch classic black and white movies. She studied at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

    After graduating Lorraine worked on the London Fringe, noted for her powerful performance in ‘Glass Hearts’ by the award-winning David Spencer. Television includes the role of Ann McIntyre in Coronation Street, and other wonderful roles in Eastenders, Holby City, Merseybeats, and The Bill. Lorraine is a versatile Actress with the qualities required to play hard-edged raw characters. She has the ability to bring a sense of vulnerability to her roles and a sense of realism to her performances. Many Directors have commented on her naturalistic style and her commitment to her work.

    Bernard John Dollison

    Graphics and Layout Designer

    Bernard is a creative designer who is self-motivated with a strong background in both print to digital media and with over 10 years of experience in the graphic design industry.

    Bernard has worked extensively in design agency, print and graphics producing high end business to business and consumer facing designs. Detail oriented and has a comprehensive understanding of Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator, Adobe Muse, Sketchup and Cinema4d.

    Rubie Grace Malata

    Virtual Admin Assistant

    Rubie has a background in store management with over 5 years managing multiple teams. She is proficient in office administrator duties and provides key support to the team.

    Natalie Beran

    Assistant Editor, The Buzz Magazine, Accounts Coordinator, Voiceover Artist

    Natalie is a voiceover artist, actor, assistant director (TV/Film), theatre producer and radio announcer/producer. She works in commercials, animation, gaming, narration (corporate / audiobooks) and radio drama. Her clients include iHeart Radio, New Zealand Lotto, Blind Foundation, Les Mills, Vista/Veezi, McDonalds and Southern Comfort. Natalie works in a range of accents including New Zealand / Australian, various UK & US and Eastern European and has a great range of animation, character and gaming voices.

    Natalie has a radio career spanning over 15 years and has worked as a radio announcer/producer in New Zealand, Sweden, Canada and the USA. She holds a Bachelor of Communication Studies (Radio) from AUT and is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA New York). She was a finalist in the inaugural SOVAS – Voice Arts Awards for animation and was a recipient of the Shakespeare’s Globe International Actors’ Fellowship.

    She has worked in TV and theatre production including producer of the Auckland Outdoor Summer Shakespeare, 2nd Assistant Director for South Pacific Pictures (Shortland Street, The Bad Seed), as well as program manager for The Actors Program. She is a founding member of the International Actors Ensemble, performing as Antipholus of Syracuse in their Mexican tour of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors and festival appearances in Auckland, Melbourne and the UK.

    Gabriel Porras

    Spanish Translator and Proof-Reader for The Buzz Magazine, Voiceover Artist

    Gabriel Porras is a world-record-holding presenter and voiceover professional with 25+ years of experience in advertising, news, live broadcasting, corporate, eLearning, gaming and animation roles (BBC, Microsoft, Netflix, Saatchi, Apple, BBM, Sauza, FedEx, McDonald’s, Sunset&Vine among others).

    International records for continuous daily radio presence (12+ years, BBC World Service) and weekly TV presence (24+ years, Gillette World Sport; 11+ years, Mobil 1 The Grid) as the main presenter of a series. Main IOC Presenter for the London 2012 Olympics. OVA international award nominations for Animation and Audiobook performances. Advanced studies in Art, Philosophy, Music, Classics, Theology, Islam and Atheism. Loves to cook (Mexican, Mediterranean, Asian Fusion) and travel (40 countries to date).

    Rich O’Donogue

    Resident Sound Engineer for The VoiceOver Network, producer, voiceover artist and DJ

    Rich’s knowledge of sound stems from a 20 year career as a DJ/Sound Engineer for clubs and bars around the UK and abroad as well as a 1st class honors degree in music production.

    From university Rich entered the world of radio production and secured a position as a commercial producer at UTV (now The Wireless Group) in which he won awards both locally and nationally for his production work.

    In 2016 Rich made the leap of faith and became freelance offering his services to production companies and voice overs whilst building the reputation of his company ‘io Audio’ from his own studio. Over the last 2 years io Audio has successfully produced showreels for many of the industries leading voices as well as offering studio recording facilities for TV and Radio most notably for Russell Howard’s Travelogue aired on Comedy Central and BBC Radio. As well as producing Rich also lectures at universities on radio production and the subject of how sound creates visualisations in our minds and how this can be used as a tool in radio production. Rich loves the art of directing voice overs, as well as mixing records on a saturday night and chilling with the family.

    Dian Perry

    Voiceover artist and voice coach

    Dian is a US voiceover artist, teacher and voiceover coach based in London. She’s worked as a professional voice actor since early 1998 and a character voice teacher and voiceover coach since 2006.

    She has worked on a huge amount of animations and cartoons including The Woodlies, Corneil and Bernie, Nelly Nut Live as well as many more. Video Games include Horizon: Zero Dawn, Pusuit Force and Sacred Underworld.

    Dian is one of the top voice coaches in the UK

    Randall Ryan

    Voiceover casting director and director

    Randall Ryan is a voiceover casting director and director.

    He is the Co-founder of Hamsterball Studios in Austin, Texas. His video game credits include: Small Town Terrors, Lord of the Rings Online, World of Warcraft, Dungeons & Dragons Online, Transformers: Optimus Prime, the Deer Hunter series, World Series of Poker, mobile gaming, children’s games, sports titles, shooters and so much more.

    Tom Keegan

    Performance capture director, audio director and casting director

    Tom Keegan is one of the most in demand performance capture directors, audio directors and casting directors in the world right now.

    He is a Director and Casting Director for Performance Capture, Video Games, Voice Over and Films. Games title credits include the Battlefield series, Wolfenstein 1, 2 and 3, Star Wars: Battlefront 2, Dead Rising 3 & 4, Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst, Call of Duty: Modern Warfair Remastered, The Amazing Spiderman 2 and many more.

    Adele Cutting

    BAFTA award-winning audio professional

    Adele Cutting is a BAFTA award-winning audio professional with 20+ years experience in audio direction, designing sound, music editing, casting and directing actors and covering all things audio across games, TV, installations, mobile and VR.

    Adele is the founder of audio production company, Soundcuts Ltd., before Soundcuts, Adele spent 15 years at EA, working her way up the ranks from Junior Sound Designer to Senior Audio Director, working on blockbuster titles such the Harry Potter franchise (on which she wore both Audio and Voice director hats), plus well known cult classics Populous the Beginning and Theme Park World.

    Recent titles Adele has worked on include Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (UK and Athens Voice Direction), The Room Old Sins (Sound Design), Pinky Malinky (Music Editing and co-ordination), Astrologaster (Voice Direction) and Elements – a James Bond cinematic installation in the alps.(Sound Design and Music Editing), Planet Zoo (Casting, Direction, Post Pro).

    Lori Alan

    American actor, writer, producer and coach

    Lori Alan is an American actor, writer, producer and coach.

    She stars on the Emmy Award winning, SpongeBob: Squarepants as Pearl Krabs, Diane Simmons on Family Guy, Sue Richards, The Invisible Woman, on Marvel Comics’ The Fantastic Four, and The Boss in the Metal Gear Solid video game trilogy.

    She’s proud to be a part of the Academy Award Winning Pixar Family. Voicing characters in Wall-e, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Monster’s University, as Mother’s Sadness in Inside Out, and Bonnie’s Mom in Pixar’s extraordinary, global franchise, Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4. Other credits include Minnions, Friends, Dispicable Me 3, Greys Anatomy and Law and Order LA.

    Elley-Ray

    Voiceover artist, actor, voice director and writer

    Elley-Ray has traversed the stages, film sets, television and radio studios for over 40 years delighting audiences world-wide.

    Her compassion to share it is unparalleled.

    She’s is a Toronto-based voiceover artist, actor, voice director and writer. She has been working in the voiceover industry for over 37 years. She has worked extensively in animations, commercials, corporate, video games, promos, audiobooks and pretty much every area of our industry. Her credits include My Little Pony, Care Bears, Babar the movie, Z Baw (feature film), Cat in the Hat, My Big My Friend, Busy Town, Hotel Transylvania: The Series and many more.

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