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Today’s 5 Questions for a Professional Voice Over Talent are answered by Amy Taylor, a professional voice-over talent based in Connecticut.

1. The beginning: When did you know you wanted to be a voiceover talent; how did your career begin (please include what year it started) and then when did your passion for voiceover develop into something professional?

I think if I knew voiceover could be a career, I’d have done it decades ago. I did my first spot in 1995 while working as a news anchor at a radio station in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I REALLY wanted to voice spots. There was some discussion about whether a newscaster should be allowed to do spots, so when they let me voice my first one, I was elated and instantly hooked. I loved the creative process of commercials and I think I stayed on the radio path so I could continue my true passion- voiceovers!

By 2005 I had built a studio in my closet and had gathered some regular VO clients. My “ah-ha” moment came in 2006 when I was racing to finish my voiceover work so I could get to the radio station on time. It was then that I realized my voiceover income grossly eclipsed my radio income. I gave my two weeks notice and never looked back.

2. What is the one thing you know now that you wish someone had told you when you first started out in voiceover?

I know that just because you have a great voice, it doesn’t mean you can make it in this field. I learned to get out of my own way and not even think about how the words “sound” coming out of my mouth. Once you can do that, you’ll improve significantly. If I can listen to a spot and not think about the person’s voice but rather the story being told, I can tell they are a pro. That’s the kind of voice talent I strive to be.

3. What do you see as the biggest professional or personal obstacle you face that impacts your voiceover business and how are you working to overcome it?

Amy: “Hi. I’m Amy and I’m a recovering DJ.”
Crowd: “Hi Amy.”

I suffer from the same syndrome as many ex-radio jocks do. Call it what you may, the “broadcaster” or “announcer” sound gets in the way of my ability to be real, conversational, non-announcery, etc. Working to correct this is a daily process for me.

4. What personal trait or professional tool has helped you succeed the most in your career so far?

I’m the worst liar ever. I really, really am. I think somehow it comes through in my reads. The specs for gigs I’ve landed usually include a variation the adjectives trustworthy, reliable, dependable. I think clients want to hire someone who believes in their product/service. They want someone that listeners/viewers will believe, too. That said, I don’t do political ads or things I’m not comfortable with. That would be *gulp* lying.

5. In your development as a voice over performer, who has been the one particular individual or what has been the one piece of performance advice (maybe a key performance trick, etc.) that you felt has had the most impact on your actual voice over performance and why?

I’ll tell you a common thread that almost everyone I’ve studied with says- from voice coaches to agents, casting directors to fellow voice actors. They all agree on the following.

“Talk to just one person. Don’t broadcast, just pick one person to talk to and commit to that.” If I can remember to follow this simple rule, my reads are much better.

Tags: 5 Questions for a Professional Voice Over Talent, 5Q:VO by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Today’s 5 Questions for a Professional Voice Over Talent are answered by Frank Frederick, a professional voice-over talent based in Park City, Utah.

1. The beginning: When did you know you wanted to be a voiceover talent; how did your career begin (please include what year it started) and then when did your passion for voiceover develop into something professional?

Way back in 1972, I was training to become an Olympic swimmer. The Olympics were un-sponsored in those years and it was a matter of finding money to fly to events and meets to be a candidate for the United States team. My friends and I listened to the radio a lot and I surmised my becoming one of those “high paid” DJ’s to help pay my way to a dream.

I found a radio station, which hired me part, part, part, part time because of my winning braces filled smile. Within a short few months I had become the Program Director of the station and found I was still not able to meet the financial demands to continue my swimming goals. I didn’t make it to the Olympics but I did stay in radio.

Through the radio gigs, I became friends with some stars in the Country music industry and some talented groups in the Rock ‘N Roll genre. Several of the new friends commented I should be making money with my voice and not by selling out to a specific radio station. Many of the stars of music asked if I could sing, I would reply; “…You sing and I will talk that will make everyone in audience happy!”

I followed the suggestions, and in 1973, while still in high school, started a boutique advertising agency with a Program Director/mentor/friend. Together we created radio and TV audio for commercials for clients nationwide featuring me as the VO talent. I knew immediately I was on to something. I didn’t know what.

These events allowed me the freedom to meet with many recording studio engineers and top shelf talent in the music industry. Interacting with a plethora of people who made the stars and starlets who they were fueled my desire to do more with voiceover.

So I did, and here I am today.

2. What is the one thing you know now that you wish someone had told you when you first started out in voiceover?

Voiceover is a business. Work hard, but have fun!

3. What do you see as the biggest professional or personal obstacle you face that impacts your voiceover business and how are you working to overcome it?

Basically, I am an introvert with a Type A personality. I like working alone, but have a need to be with others – once in a while. Coming out of my shell is oftentimes difficult, but I am working on it.

4. What personal trait or professional tool has helped you succeed the most in your career so far?

Learning the technique of “paying homage to the words” is something every voice actor needs to understand – even vocalists (singers). As a voice talent, you are not just reading the words, which are on a page or script; you must be able to share the emotion and create a world, which draws the listener into “a theater of the mind”. Voiceover is not about your voice, but about the words and messages shared and; how they affect others.

5. In your development as a voice over performer, who has been the one particular individual or what has been the one piece of performance advice (maybe a key performance trick, etc.) that you felt has had the most impact on your actual voice over performance and why?

Early on, I had a mentor named Les Bagley, he was the P.D. at my first real radio gig; he offered me these words: “I don’t have a great voice like you, but I know how to use what I have.”

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Today’s 5 Questions for a Professional Voice Over Talent are answered by Marc Cashman, a professional voice-over talent based in Stevenson Ranch, California.

1. The beginning: When did you know you wanted to be a voiceover talent; how did your career begin (please include what year it started) and then when did your passion for voiceover develop into something professional?

I started doing voiceover almost as soon as I started writing and producing Radio commercials in Los Angeles in 1978. A number of my clients asked me to voice their commercials, even though I offered to cast other voice talent (and better ones, in my opinion). When I saw that I’d probably continue in this role, I was lucky enough to be invited to join a V-O workout group of veteran talent that met once a week on Tuesday nights for three hours in a studio, where we performed and directed each other in myriad forms of copy and text. I did that for eight years. I also learned an enormous amount just listening to the extraordinary voice talent I directed in my Radio and TV commercials. I had been a professional singer/songwriter in the heyday of the 60’s and 70’s, and saw voice acting as an extension of my singing and performing days, albeit in a more anonymous setting, which suited me just fine. But my passion for voice acting deepened considerably when I started narrating audiobooks, about five years ago. Since then I’ve narrated over 100 audiobooks and have been named–twice–one of the “Best Voices of The Year” by AudioFile Magazine, and have earned numerous Earphones Awards from them.

2. What is the one thing you know now that you wish someone had told you when you first started out in voiceover?

That the best actors never stop learning. I would’ve taken more classes in every area I could. I envy my colleagues who studied with Daws Butler, who was teaching in Los Angeles in the 80’s.

3. What do you see as the biggest professional or personal obstacle you face that impacts your voiceover business and how are youworking to overcome it?

The only obstacle (if you could call it that–I call it a challenge) in my voiceover career is time. My commercial production, writing, public speaking and V-O instruction careers take a lot of time, so I find that I have to be judicious in how I allot my time doing voice acting. So far I’ve been able to find a healthy balance, but it does require some long hours. But I’m always thinking of ways to promote my voiceover career. Currently, I’m sending out (via snail mail) a 4-color bookmark to dozens of audiobook publishers. On it is my head shot, with the words “Book Marc!”, with a list of my accomplishments, phone numbers to contact and a URL to listen to my demos.

4. What personal trait or professional tool has helped you succeed the most in your career so far?

A good sense of humor, a willingness to help people and share my knowledge, a constant desire to have fun in whatever I do, determination, generosity, a sense of total responsibility, utter professionalism and pride of work, endless creativity and self-promotion, a desire to be a role model to my daughter and solid consistency.

5. In your development as a voice over performer, who has been the one particular individual or what has been the one piece of performance advice (maybe a key performance trick, etc.) that you felt has had the most impact on your actual voice over performance and why?

I’ve learned and now teach a multitude of V-O performance tips, tricks, tools and techniques, and I’d say that the most important skill a voice actor needs is the ability to infuse their performance with emotion. Too many times I hear people just saying words, with no connection to what it is they’re saying. The concept of coloring word and phrases accurately and subtly is the hallmark of every great actor, whether off-camera or on.

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Today’s 5 Questions for a Professional Voice Over Talent are answered by Todd Schick, a professional voice-over talent based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada .

1. The beginning: When did you know you wanted to be a voiceover talent; how did your career begin (please include what year it started) and then when did your passion for voiceover develop into something professional?

I would say that my professional career started when I got into radio in 1984 – my brother inspired me to get into radio broadcasting; he had a few years behind the mic at that time. It’s funny, but I really didn’t “know” I want to be a pro VO talent, but I was keenly aware that every radio station I worked at, I always got the lion’s share of commercial work.

I didn’t have a “passion” for doing VO – I was simply good at it – it was part of my job.

About a year before I left radio (1996 or so) I recall saying to a producer I worked with daily that “Guys in Toronto are getting paid $750 for a local spot, you know…..” In fact, I said this so many times, he got pissed off and told me to shut up and read the spot. I remember getting hot under the ears after that and I think that ultimately led me down the path to VO.

The only thing positive I took from radio was the experience – everything else was horrible. Lousy money, horrible hours and tons of stress led me to the point of a nervous breakdown. When I left for good in 1997, I recall saying to myself that I’d be happy mowing lawns if that were my fate.

Things came full circle when I ended up back with my brother at his house in Oakville outside of Toronto, literally stranded there after being dumped by Girlfriend From Hell back in Ottawa. I was a mess. He lent me his vintage 1966 Mustang to get around (in winter, no less). His only advice to me at the time:

“Make the choice to be happy.”

I had to start all over with less than nothing, I was carrying debt. So, I decided I’d try to do freelance VO. It was a tall order. I had a buddy in Toronto I knew for years say…….”So, you’re going to do VO…..fulltime?” I’m sure he thought I was smoking something…lol.

2. What is the one thing you know now that you wish someone had told you when you first started out in voiceover?

There’s a few technical tricks I’ve learned over the years I would have liked to have known at the start, but really, I would have done a much better job of protecting my intellectual property.

When I started my web presence in 1998 there were about 30 guys (no gals) on Yahoo! with a website up. Most, if not all of them, were tantamount to a flashy business card. No one was sharing information on the trade…..primarily because it was so new (running a home studio and delivering audio via the internet). Everyone held their cards pretty close to their chest for fear of losing….whatever.

I knew all along that – in respect to VO – one can have all the information on the subject in the world, but if they don’t have talent for the work, they won’t succeed. Kinda like someone reading about playing the guitar….but never having the skills to play it.

So, I chose to share information from the start. Gave it away for nothing. I figured that if it worked for Microsoft, it would work for me….and it did. I was bombarded by so many questions from both clients and talent that I kept writing content for my site and pointed everyone to look at toddschick.com. My site grew by about 3-4 pages a week at the start. It’s at about 160 pages now and enjoys fantastic rankings.

What I didn’t expect, was how badly I got plagiarized and ripped off….again, much like Microsoft. Audio from my demos started showing up on other people’s demos – SFX and transitions. I had a guy from Calgary send me a note asking if I’d link to his site. I went to have a look, only to discover that he had “copied and pasted” my index page……verbatim. He didn’t even try to change the wording! It was my thinking that he had hired someone to compose his site, they found me at the top of Yahoo! and ripped off my content.

The worst culprit was the P2P sites. They stole everything, right down to my color scheme (guess which one). The now widely used Custom Audition, rates, delivery method(s), how to categorize and structure demos….everything. They ripped it off, because they (like the guy in Calgary) had nothing else to go on – my site was – literally – “The Bible” in respect to the subject (business model) of home-studio based VO talent recording and delivering audio via the internet.

I guess the only other thing I wish I knew beforehand was just how much of a waste of time P2P sites would be. Had I spent more time working my existing client base and less time auditioning via P2P sites, I’d be better off. Hours and hours of my time I’ll never get back. I wrote extensively on the subject here: http://www.toddschick.com/VoiceTalentFAQVoice123.htm

3. What do you see as the biggest professional or personal obstacle you face that impacts your voiceover business and how are you working to overcome it?

Without question P2P sites. Here, we have websites selling people the “dream” of becoming a VO talent. A person can wake up one morning, decide they want to get into VO – someone told them they have a nice voice. So, they give a P2P site $300.00 and get all the validation they need to get their “career” underway.

P2P sites have de-valued the work to the point where people are reading commercial spots for $10……some even less. What have I done about it? Ha! I’ve been fighting the “good fight” ever since they appeared back in 2003 and still continue to this day. Don’t get me started…lol.

As for me personally, I don’t view P2P as an “obstacle.” My business is very healthy and continues to grow, despite the advent of P2P sites. That’s because true professionals in the industry (producers and other clients) know full well the difference between quality talent and the crap that’s rampant on P2P sites.

Indeed, if anything….P2P sites have served me well in that regard. Many of my new customers today come to me because they want quality and no longer wish to waste their time and money hiring talent off P2P sites.

The “obstacle” I see for the industry in general is P2P sites…and that is something that should scare the hell out of anyone getting started today. I fear for those people, because P2P sites are destroying the industry’s bottom line via their bidding-based business model – a very short-sighted approach. There’s simply too many people competing for a smaller and smaller slice of the pie.

4. What personal trait or professional tool has helped you succeed the most in your career so far?

I can’t name one, but many. Indeed, many people getting started in the business think that simply having a “nice voice” is all they need, when in fact – to be successful at VO – there are many factors involved.

I have entrepreneurial spirit; always prepared to fail. I have recording engineering experience, to play with the big boys who can tell the difference between me and buddy with a USB microphone. I have marketing skills from my radio days, along with business (sales) acumen. I have a trained and skilled voice that took 12 years of reading thousands of commercials and other content to hone. I live in a city where the VO market is huge. I have several agents, a staff to manage my business and schedule, contacts from my radio days that have helped me get imaging contracts….the list goes on.

5. In your development as a voice over performer, who has been the one particular individual or what has been the one piece of performance advice (maybe a key performance trick, etc.) that you felt has had the most impact on your actual voice over performance and why?

Forgive me for saying this, but that question I find somewhat offensive and a clear indicator of what’s wrong with the VO industry today. There is no “one thing” someone can teach someone else…and suddenly, the clouds clear, the sun comes out and the voice talent rises like a phoenix….lol.

What I learned, the skill I have today is the culmination of:

A) A god-given gift for reading anything aloud and

B) Decades upon decades of repetition, thousands and thousands of commercials, rolls and rolls of teletype paper when I read news, writing, producing and voicing radio documentaries….etc.

So tell me, do you have a “performance trick” you can teach me that’s going to work in lieu of the aforementioned? This….is what these P2P sites and VO coaches out there are telling people….that they can teach these “tricks” and make a voice talent out of someone, when nothing could be further than the truth.

I digress. On the subject of inspiration, I can mention three things:

One was my ninth grade English teacher Mrs. McNabb. She would do a reading exercise where the class would read from the same book and she would pick students at random to read a paragraph. Whenever she got to me, she’d only let me read a few sentences. One day after class, I went to her desk and asked her why she wouldn’t let me read more of the book. She said:

“Todd, you’re an excellent reader – very entertaining. The thing is, there’s other kids in the class that need the practice.”

The other person was a Program Director back in my radio days at 66CFR in Calgary. After about 6 years in radio I came to that station with a lot of experience reading spots – I had a killer commercial demo and the copy writers (and sales people) were licking their chops to get me in the booth to record.

The PD was a control freak and told me that she felt that I “wasn’t ready” to record spots for a market as big as Calgary.

Ever since then, I decided I will never let her – or anyone else – hold me back. Today, I voice everyday for a pretty big market – Canada – as the brand voice for the (national) Global Television Network.

The third and final inspiration is my theater experience. I was great at doing VO before I got into theater…..acting put my craft way over the top. Acting taught me skills I never knew I had…..again, not one person or one trick, but a cumulative experience.

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Today’s 5 Questions for a Professional Voice Over Talent are answered by Matt Dratva, a professional voice-over talent based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

1. The beginning: When did you know you wanted to be a voiceover talent; how did your career begin (please include what year it started) and then when did your passion for voiceover develop into something professional?

From an early age, I was imitating cartoon voices and making sound effects but just figured you couldn’t make a living doing that! Then in 2006, I landed on a local voice over talent’s website, here in Toronto and after he critiqued me, the rest is history. It took approx. 3 yrs of auditioning everyday until I could walk away from my desk job and pursue my dream of being a Professional Voice over talent.

2. What is the one thing you know now that you wish someone had told you when you first started out in voiceover?

Well quite honestly, I was told the truth upfront…that it would be EXTREMELY hard work but if I dedicated myself to this…it would be possible. And I never gave up, I just kept plugging away, keeping a positive attitude, knowing I would succeed.

3. What do you see as the biggest professional or personal obstacle you face that impacts your voiceover business and how are youworking to overcome it?

The disappointment factor of not booking a VO gig after you and the Director/Sound engineer think you really nailed the read. From experience, of course I know it is so subjective and it could have nothing to do with the read, the client was just looking for a different sound. I regard every audition as a valued opportunity and grateful for the experience….BUT sometimes, it’s still difficult.:)

4. What personal trait or professional tool has helped you succeed the most in your career so far?

My professionalism, timeliness, sense of humour and the fact that I love what I do is transparent to the client and makes them feel at ease.

5. In your development as a voice over performer, who has been the one particular individual or what has been the one piece of performance advice (maybe a key performance trick, etc.) that you felt has had the most impact on your actual voice over performance and why?

There are too many pieces of advice but the few that stand out for me are “lift the words off the page and make them your own” “it doesn’t matter what you say, it’s how you say it” And lastly, “give the client 1 take for them (their wishes) and 1 of your own, because sometimes, they don’t even know what they want”

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Today’s 5 Questions for a Professional Voice Over Talent are answered by Dan Hurst, a professional voice-over talent based in Kansas City, Missouri.

1. The beginning: When did you know you wanted to be a voiceover talent; how did your career begin (please include what year it started) and then when did your passion for voiceover develop into something professional?

It all began back in 1985 after I had lost a radio job. One day while driving in the car, my wife asked, “Who does the voice for all those radio and tv commercials?” I had just assumed that DJs did that. But I knew most of the DJs in the Kansas City area, and I know those weren’t all their voices, so some of those unknown voices had a pretty good gig!

I started checking into it and eventually made contact with a talent agency in KC. The owner of the agency had compassion on me and took me under his wing and gave me my start. He was great about helping me to play from my strengths, which included my Spanish abilities from having grown up in Honduras.

After my first gig – a radio/tv spot for a local hospital – I was hooked. There wasn’t that much local work, and the internet thing hadn’t really kicked in yet, so I still had to find another job. I did end up back in radio for a great career in KC, but a few years ago I saw the writing on the wall and knew the radio thing was not going to last much longer so I started developing the VO biz more and more, built a home studio, and planned ahead.

Sure enough, a few years later, I got fired again. But this time, I was ready and stepped right into a full-time VO career that was already able to support me. The transition was quite smooth.

2. What is the one thing you know now that you wish someone had told you when you first started out in voiceover?

How to interpret and act voice copy. Early on, I was just a plain ol’ DJ announcer. It wasn’t until I discovered voice color and character, and how to combine that with good interpretation, that things really started opening up for me.

3. What do you see as the biggest professional or personal obstacle you face that impacts your voiceover business and how are you working to overcome it?

Hmmmm. Good question. I think it’s just getting known by the right people. I don’t mean just meeting the right people, but actually building a business connection with them so that they’ll remember you when they need a voice job.

That’s tough, no matter where you live, but for those of us who don’t live in the main production markets, it especially difficult to make those connections and get remembered. So, it’s a constant battle of making connections and getting known.

4. What personal trait or professional tool has helped you succeed the most in your career so far?

I’d say a combination of capitalizing on my strengths and some intuitive marketing. I’m a big proponent of the blue ocean marketing concept that came out of Harvard a few years ago.

5. In your development as a voice over performer, who has been the one particular individual or what has been the one piece of performance advice (maybe a key performance trick, etc.) that you felt has had the most impact on your actual voice over performance and why?

Wow, so many people have had such a great influence in my life. I try to learn something from everyone I meet in this business. But the greatest vocal coaches and teachers I’ve had are my clients. I’ve learned more from them by listening to their instructions and interpretations, and by asking them questions about what they wanted.

Voice talents tend to listen to each other and try to pick up the good traits and apply them to our work. Unfortunately we also tend to regurgitate the same ideas and tips over and over. But I’ve found that by spending more time with my clients and getting to know them, I learn far more about how to succeed in this business.

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