the voiceover agent series: how I partnered with Big Mouth Talent in Chicago, IL

Editor’s note: Often times I get asked by both new and experienced voiceover talent “how do you get a voiceover agent?” Or “how did you get signed with a specific voice talent agency?” It occurred to me recently that there are some interesting and fun stories about how I have partnered with my voiceover agents. Everybody likes a good story so I thought I would share a few of them in something I’ve entitled “the voiceover agent series”.

Voice Talent Peter K O'Connell Big Mouth 19 350As of this writing, Big Mouth Talent is actually my newest agent. And it maybe one of my favorite agent stories because getting a new agent wasn’t even on my mind.

I was looking for a recording studio…and some heat.

Back in February of this year, you may recall that Chicago, IL had a cold spell of record breaking proportions. -23 degrees Fahrenheit (not counting the wind – in the “Windy City” – so the “real feel” was waaay colder than that by like double). Really unpleasant weather.

So naturally, I was IN CHICAGO during those exact days…and I needed a recording studio because an overseas voiceover client required some fast turnover.

I did “the Google” to search for a voiceover recording studio. In my search I wasn’t so much concerned with price as I was with distance. I was fortunate enough to be at a hotel in downtown Chicago but I wanted something within walking distance…even though with the cold, no matter where I walked, it was going to be OMG cold even for a Buffalonian.

I found within 3-4 blocks of my hotel there was a voiceover studio called Chicago Recording Company…fairly priced and they had a studio available that evening.

This was not the coldest evening of my stay but it was a pretty miserable evening to be going for a walk in downtown Chicago. Yet I pressed on (doesn’t that sound dramatic…I’m such a baby! I was fine.)

I had no idea just how many studios CRC had but it was a big and bustling place, even late in the day. It was, though, like a very efficient doctor’s office where I completed some paperwork, sat down and was escorted to my studio in short order.

The recording facilities were very nice and I was done with my narration in a half hour. They were very complimentary about my work, which they certainly didn’t have to be. That was a nice plus.

On the way out, I asked the studio manager if they had a voiceover roster. He said they primarily used a Chicago voiceover agency for casting, Big Mouth Talent. He encouraged me to speak with them.

Kelly Wilkening Agent Big Mouth Talent Chicago audioconnellI emailed VO Agent Kelly Wilkening there sometime later about the advice I was given by CRC and she asked for some of my voiceover demos. About a week later, we were working together and it’s been pretty terrific.

All because I was willing (and needed) to take a short but very cold walk in downtown Chicago.

So you can keep your portable rigs (there’s value there). But I think you cannot go wrong working with local recording studios folks, making connections and having the opportunity for something unexpectedly good to happen.

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