Voice Acting for Animation
Being animated is an everyday part of my job as a voice acting coach and as a voice actress, depending on the project type. My first professional contract as a singer was with Disney as the singing Little Mermaid in …
New Year, New You?
Have you ever known someone who seems to just play through life? Their attitude is always light; they’re frequently laughing and smiling. They’re nonchalant, easy to be around, and external events rarely knock them off balance. It can be baffling …
Right-Sizing Your Read
One of the most common mistakes I see while coaching students is one that’s rarely talked about. It’s a big component of sounding natural and authentic, and therefore being effective: often, I hear new voice actors fail to right-size the …
Working Wednesday: Bad Impressions
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, one of my favorite mantras as a voice-over actor and coach: A bad vocal impression is still a good character voice. As voice-over artists, we’re not impressionists, we’re actors. It’s helpful …
Speed vs. Energy
If you’ve been in any live recording sessions directed by clients who aren’t necessarily voice-over professionals, then you’re likely to have received your fair share of vague or confusing feedback. But what your clients say goes – they are the …
Acting For Voiceover: If you believe you, we believe you!
Question: How can you tell a good voice-over performance from a not-so-good performance? Answer: Well, that’s kind of a trick question. The truth is, what we find “good” is entirely subjective and based upon our personal preference. It’s like going …
The Power Grid: Energy (of all kinds) in your Studio
Those of you who know me are already aware of this (and greetings to those of you who I’ve not yet met): I describe myself as a “Sparkly Unicorn Who Runs A Think Tank.” What this means to me is …
Mindset: The Most Important Quality in Voice-over
It’s not the mic. It’s not the audio interface. It’s not how your room is treated, or which DAW you use. It’s not how much you practice and it’s not how much coaching or how reputable and effective your coach …
But I HATE Commercials!
If you are anything like me, you have spent most of your life avoiding commercials: turning down the volume, fast forwarding, leaving the room, or simply using your mental powers to block them out entirely. Welp, studying voice-over sure changed …
Mouth Noise: Stop it BEFORE it Starts
Spring allergies may be winding down, but unfortunately, the battle with mouth noise isn’t a seasonal one. It may be easier when you’re not having to compete with Mother Nature, but taking care of yourself as a voice-over artist is …
It’s Not Easy Being Me
In a commercial promoting her online Masterclass on acting, Helen Mirren casually walked on set, camera following her as she made her way to a chair and sat down, she then exclaimed, “That is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” …
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 …