FREE Voice Over Tips & Insights – From a 25+ year Pro
The 12 Principles of Animation — And Why Every Voice Actor and Puppeteer Needs to Know Them
In 1981, two Disney animators named Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston published what has since been called the "Bible of Animation" — a book called The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation. In it, they laid out 12 foundational principles that govern how great animation moves. Voice actors, they are NOT just for animators. Puppeteers, you need to take note too. Here's why — and what each principle means for the performance you bring to the mic and beyond.
So You Want to Play the Villain? Good. This Is the Most Fun You'll Ever Have Behind a Mic.
Let me tell you something about villains: they are the MOST fun you will ever have behind a microphone. The cackle. The monologue. The dramatic pause before the really terrible thing happens. All of it. But here's what separates a genuinely terrifying, memorable, bookable villain from a cartoon monster doing a funny voice — and it starts with a question most voice actors never think to ask.
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.
Volume vs. Loudness: What Every Voice Actor Needs to Know About LUFS
Here's a sentence that confuses almost every new voice actor: your file can look loud on the meter and still get rejected for being too quiet — or vice versa. That's because volume and loudness are not the same thing. Let's talk about LUFS, what it actually measures, and the numbers you need to know before you deliver a file.
What Toy Story Teaches Voice Actors About Adaptability
Toy Story 5 hits theaters this weekend — 30 years after the original changed animation forever. And it's the perfect moment to talk about the one skill that's carried voice actors through three decades of evolving animation technology. Hint: it's not a voice. It's adaptability.
The First 3 Things to Do If You Want to Do VO (Spoiler: None of Them Are Buying a Mic)
Every week someone asks me: "Where do I even start with voice acting?" I have an answer. And it's going to surprise some of you — because none of these first three things involve buying a microphone, building a home studio, or recording a single audition. Here's where the real foundation gets built.
Pick a Lane: Why Every New Voice Actor Needs to Focus Before They Diversify
I say this in almost every coaching session with a new voice actor. Usually about ten minutes in, after they've told me they want to do commercial AND animation AND audiobooks AND video games AND e-learning AND promo AND... "Pick a lane." Here's what I mean — and why it's actually the most exciting advice I give.
Half Empty or Half Full? How You Measure Your Progress Changes Everything
Even the most successful actors at the top of their game can feel like complete failures — while everyone around them looks up to them as role models. How is that possible? It comes down to one thing: how they're measuring their progress. Half Empty or Half Full. And here's the wild part — we can HEAR which one you're in. Every time.
You Are Not Who You Think You're Not.
"It's not who you are that holds you back. It's who you think you're not." That one hit me differently when I first read it. Because the box most voice actors are trapped in? They built it themselves. And they can dismantle it the same way.
Your Only Competition Is Who You Were Yesterday
Here's something I want every voice actor to hear — especially the ones scrolling through other people's booking announcements feeling that familiar twinge of... something. This post is for you. Your competition is not who you think it is. And understanding that changes everything about how you grow.