FREE Voice Over Tips & Insights – From a 25+ year Pro
Everyone Wants to Be a Voice in a Game. It's Not About the Voice Anymore.
I've been working in video games since 2006. Back then, my job was straightforward: come in, voice a stack of NPCs, go home. Then this thing called mocap came along — and it was my PUPPETRY background that got me in the door. Here's what's changed since, why it matters, and why "I want to be a voice in a game" isn't quite the right ambition anymore.
Slate in Character. Every Single Time. (Yes, I Will Die on This Hill.)
Fair warning: some coaches teach this differently. I respect that. And I will respectfully, enthusiastically, and permanently disagree. I once booked a role FROM my slate. Before I read a single word of the script. Here's why slating in character isn't just good advice — it's the difference between booking and being skipped.
Be a Thermostat, Not a Thermometer: The Audition Mindset That Changes Everything
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote about thermometers and thermostats in his Letter from Birmingham Jail — about the difference between those who merely reflect their environment and those who transform it. I've been applying that distinction to voice actors in auditions for years. Here's what it means for your next submission.
How to Make a Casting Director Fall in Love With You
Mae West said it and I believe it completely: "We must fall in love with ourselves. I don't like myself, I'm crazy about myself." How does that apply to your voice acting auditions? In the most direct, practical, career-defining way possible. Here's how to make casting fall in love with you... by falling in love with yourself first.
Make the Bold Choice. (Casting Is Begging You To.)
I've worked alongside some of the most prominent casting directors in the industry. I've had them as guests in my studio workshop sessions. And when voice actors finally get to ask them THE question... "How do you choose?!"... the answer is always the same. Let me tell you what they say.
Why Nearly Half of Voice Actor Auditions Get Cut Before Anyone Hits Play
In a recent casting I ran, 202 voice actors submitted auditions. 98 of them were eliminated before anyone hit play. That's 48.5% — cut instantly, not for their performance, but for one completely avoidable mistake. Sound harsh? It is. But it's also fixable. Here's what's actually happening on the casting side of the table.