Voice Over Talent

VO Atlanta – Celebrating 10 Years!

May 12, 2023 by Theresa C. Ho

I recently attended VO Atlanta 2023 – the largest voiceover conference in the world. It was my first in-person VO Atlanta, having previously participated in the virtual edition in 2020.

It was an extra special one this year, not only for me, but it was also the 10^th anniversary edition and also the first year run by its new owners, Anna Collins and J. Michael Collins.

Real Life – Real VO People

There are so many voice over friends and colleagues whom I’ve met and developed relationships with online, but nothing beats meeting these folks in real life! It was so great to finally meet J. Michael, who was also my demo producer and one of my coaches. I also got to finally meet Brad Hyland in person, who was also one of my fantastic coaches and is a mentor.

I also finally got to meet some members of my accountability group in person! It was so amazing to be able to sit down and chat with them in real life!

As well, I’m part of Paul Schmidt’s VO Freedom Master Plan group. Paul hosts weekly online meetings with those in his group, and at VO Altanta, he organized a get-together for us. We got to discuss VO life, business strategies relating to the VO Freedom Master Plan and simply got to learn more about each other.

Networking

If you love networking and meeting new people, as I do, VO Atlanta was definitely the place to be. With about 1000 people at the event, there were certainly many people to meet and chat with. I met so many lovely people from around the world! Also, where else are you going to find such an amazing menagerie of VO talent (veterans and newcomers), agents, managers, casting directors, coaches and industry partners?

At times, I chose not to go into the sessions, but to hang out and to chat with folks in the hallways. Knowing that we would have all the recorded sessions available to us afterward allowed me to feel more relaxed about not having to catch all of it then and there.

Fun and More Fun

The Great Bagel Challenge between New Jersey (Uncle Roy) and Montreal (me) also took place. Uncle Roy has a tradition of bringing New Jersey bagels to voiceover conferences, and I joined him by bringing Montreal bagels when we were at the last V.O. North conference. I call it The Great Bagel Challenge because we both enjoy teasing each other about which city has the best bagels.

There were also a lot of VO folks busy with fun content creation. For example, we had Cherie B. Tay making fun videos for her TikTok and Instagram accounts, and I had a lot of fun participating in one of them. Rhonda Phillips, webinar host of Late Night Secrets with Rhonda, was really busy documenting the event and created some great content that she shared over her socials.

The evenings did not disappoint, with karaoke, dancing and other fun activities. Thanks to DJ Sam Beman for mixing those sweet tunes!

The Fabulous Get Mic’d! team hosted the Ultimate VO Survivor Grand Finale, with the super talented Tim Heller taking home the honor of being the Ultimate VO Survivor!

There was a script reading workshop with producers at Pandora/SiriusXM, where voice actors had the opportunity to read for them in both English and/or Spanish.

And if all of the above wasn’t enough for you, attendees had the chance to participate in The Team Challenge, hosted by Dan Friedman. There were randomly assigned teams and they had a certain amount of time to write, voice and produce a real commercial. The client (a real organization) chose the winning team and used their commercial spot to air.

Learning

The sheer number of sessions for pretty much all genres of VO was unbelievable. I was blown away by the quality of these sessions and of the speakers/presenters. There was something for everyone, from beginners to veterans.

It was obviously impossible to catch all of the sessions, so it is really great that we can now watch all of the replays in the comfort of our homes.

The X-Sessions were equally as impressive. Personally, I attended two X-Sessions: one with talent agent, Lau Lapides, and the other with casting director, Terry Berland. They both shared golden nuggets of information and tips to improve our self-direction and so much more.

Children in Voiceover

Headed up by Martha Kahn, the two-day Children’s program was a mini-conference on its own. There were sessions geared both to complete newcomers and also to children with experience. There were also some sessions for parents to learn more about the industry.

Special Surprises

From the opening video beautifully voiced by Brigid Real to the sneak peak of The Comet Casino’s animatic pilot by the talented Miranda Parkin, Scott Parkin and Ed Yeager, there were special surprises throughout the conference.

Inspiration and Generosity

This year’s Keynote Speaker was Debra Wilson, who spoke to us with passion and inspiration about how we need to share our authentic selves with the world and so much more.

The 2023 Unicorn Award was presented to Jeff Gelder, who is the founder of a charity called Children’s Holiday Magic Project. Jeff’s wonderful project helps bring joy and entertainment to hospitalized children during the holiday season through recorded stories and music. The Unicorn Award celebrates giving back without the expectation of profit or publicity.

Finally – the giveaways. It was like Christmas, combined with one of Oprah Winfrey’s giveaway shows. The prizes and gifts just kept on coming. The generosity of the VO community is mind-blowing.

A Touch of Class – Here, There, Everywhere

There was even Champagne. Oh yes! JMC Demos hosted a Champagne hour (or however long the Champagne lasted) for all attendees.

The event was beautifully organized, from A to Z. Thank you, Anna, J. Michael and the whole VO Atlanta Team! A big shout out to Scott Chambers and AJ McKay as the fantastic Emcee duo! Bravo to Uncle Roy Yokelson and his tech team! A million thanks go out to the numerous volunteers who helped make the event a huge success!

Can’t wait for next year’s event! See y’all in Atlanta!

Storytelling and Storytellers

April 20, 2022 by Theresa C. Ho

During good times and difficult ones, storytelling is so important in so many ways. Stories help connect us and have no geographical boundaries. They are magical, allowing us to use our imaginations. As well, they transport us to a different time and place. They allow us to experience different cultures, characters and experiences that we may never get to live in our own lives.

We tell stories that are happy, sad, informative, inspirational, historical and the list goes on and on. Stories are not only an outlet for the creator, but also allow others to empathize or to live vicariously through them, whether they be written or verbal. They give us hope and allow us to share history and to learn from them. In addition, stories help us heal, whether as the storyteller or as the audience.

Storytelling allows us as humans to share a bit of ourselves, lives, experiences, thoughts, beliefs, imagination and creativity.

Stories that Need to be Told

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you know that the last two years have been pretty difficult for many people, all over the world, due to the pandemic. Alas, we now have the invasion of Ukraine to add to the sadness and heartbreak.

For those of us living through the pandemic, we will have numerous stories, good and bad, to tell future generations. From the panic buying and hoarding of toilet paper, to the heroic stories of our frontline workers. These and so many other stories of the pandemic will be remembered because they will be recorded and passed on through time.

The same goes for war stories. Not only are the stories of the atrocities in Ukraine being recorded by official news outlets, but also by regular people. Storytelling is such an important and powerful medium for those who are being oppressed.

Storytelling – Then and Now

Humans have always been storytellers, throughout our existence. Storytelling comes in so many forms, including oral traditions, artwork and the written word.

With today’s technology so readily available, many are taking advantage and using it to tell their own stories through blogs, social media posts, vlogs and podcasts. Once upon a time, we needed a publisher, film or TV producer, or an official news outlet to be able to share our stories with the world. Advancements in technology and changes in how people consume information has allowed everyone and anyone to share their stories.

Voice Overs = Storytelling

As voice actors, we are oral storytellers. We use our voices to tell stories, using the written words of the author or copywriter. We use many different techniques, following written or verbal direction, and give it our own unique flavor. And that is why every voice actor is unique. The way I sound and the way I interpret a script can be very different from a different voice actor. We have unique speech patterns and backstories that shape the way we speak and narrate.

Audiobooks is an obvious genre for voice over storytelling, but there are so many more. Almost every type of video uses voice overs. Voice actors are storytellers for corporations, non-profit organizations and more. Even commercials use the art of storytelling to craft their messages to their target audience. E-learning also uses storytelling to engage the learner and for optimal information retention.

Tweaking your Story

When telling a story, especially one that is timely, you may want to “read” the audience. For example, the tone and content of advertisements, social media posts, podcasts, television shows, etc. were all affected by the pandemic. At the beginning of the pandemic, we heard messages with a more somber and inspirational tone. People really needed comforting, so advertisements, etc. needed to pivot. Content creators certainly don’t want to be tone deaf to the happenings around the world.

Stories at all Ages

Stories are important at all ages. We tell them to our babies and young children to entertain them, educate them, comfort them and so on. It’s a form of communication that continues throughout our lives. We tell stories to our friends, family, coworkers. People enjoy sharing their stories with others, perhaps to make a connection or to entertain them. Turning that around, people love to hear other people’s stories. Is that not why gossip is of such interest to so many people?

Sharing the Love of Blogging

I want to give a huge shout out to some of my fellow voice over bloggers who are not only amazing voice talents, but who also share my love of storytelling through the written word. These are wonderful bloggers who inform, educate and entertain. Please click on their names to check out their blogs and subscribe.

My Stories and Yours

I’m very grateful to have this creative outlet for me to share my thoughts, experiences and stories. I am very thankful for all of my readers!

Diversity in Voice Over and Beyond

February 24, 2022 by Theresa C. Ho

As we celebrate Black History Month, I thought that it would be the right time to address the topic of diversity in voice over. As a person of color and a woman myself, this is a topic that is of great interest and importance to me and so many others.

What is Diversity?

When I use the term diversity, I am referring to different ethnicities, skin color, genders, ages, cultures, sexual orientations, etc.

Voices of the Past and of the Future

It was not that long ago that the majority of voice roles went to Caucasian men. You would almost never hear a woman doing radio or TV promo work, movie trailers, etc., but these days, female voices are increasingly being used for this genre of voice work. The same goes with voices of different ethnicities and accents.

The world has become a more open place, in our hearts and minds, and this is being reflected in the changing landscape of voice over. We are all consumers, and we all want to see and hear people who we can relate to, represented and reflected, in all forms of media.

Authenticity in Casting

There is so much more diversity in casting than ever before. When they are casting for ethnic roles, for example, the casting specs often ask for authentic accents and people who are from that ethnic background. Or perhaps it may be for a role that is asking for a specific sexual orientation, and they do not want people auditioning if they don’t identify with these groups. There is a growing casting trend for the real thing. It’s about authenticity, but also about diverse representation. There is now a big demand for the inclusion of all types of people.

The topic of casting authentic BIPOC voices can sometimes ensue with a heated discussion. Some voice actors say that everyone should be able to voice any role because as voice actors, we should be able to portray any character because no one sees the color of our skin. It’s just the voice, right? While it is true that we are actors and can “play” different characters, let’s not forget that there is a backstory that people of a different gender, ethnicity and age, etc. may not get if they are not part of that specific group.

The Changing Landscape

We are even seeing more and more demand for real children in voice over. Sure, some adults can sound like children, but do they really sound like REAL children? They don’t really. They just don’t have the same speaking patterns and way of seeing the world as a child does. And these are elements that will come across in a read.

Every voice over conference that I have attended in the past couple of years has had a Diversity Panel to discuss this very important topic and how the industry is shifting in terms of casting. I think that it’s great that these discussions are being had, and if these panels and topics exist, it means that there is a need for it.

Different Cultures

Mainstream media is not only accepting, but finally embracing diversity in all forms. More and more we are seeing and hearing from people of all types of cultures, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientation, ages, etc. The popularity of Squid Games on Netflix, Encanto on Disney +, Queer Eye on Netflix, etc. demonstrates that the general population wants this diversity and inclusion.

Promoting Diversity in Voice Over

There are some fantastic initiatives promoting diverse voices, including the PMG (People of the Global Majority) VO List and Voices of Color. These are resources open to anyone looking to cast diverse voice actors and also to find ethnically diverse voice over coaches.

These initiatives promote people who have been historically underrepresented, even though they represent the global majority. The glass ceiling may be invisible, but it’s a real as concrete and has affected women, people of color and members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. And thus, the reason that we need to try to balance things out. It’s not about reverse discrimination, it’s about equality for all.

How Do We Get There?

To create more diversity and inclusion for everyone, we need to see diversity in all professions, from the creators, the casting directors, the writers, the advertisement executives, the corporate leaders and beyond.

It’s not just the world of voice over that is recognizing the need for more diversity. Doing a quick search on the internet will find you job titles like Chief Diversity Officer, Diversity Recruiter, Diversity and Inclusion Advocate and Inclusion Specialist.

While the discussion of diversity may be uncomfortable for some people, it’s an important one that we must continue to have. Diversity and inclusion are not about making it more difficult for one group of people to succeed, but instead about creating an openness so that it will eventually be an even playing ground for everyone.

New Year – New Goals!

January 11, 2022 by Theresa C. Ho

We’re already into our second week of the New Year! Is it too late to wish all of you a very Happy New Year? Either way, I’m going to wish you a fantastic one, filled with good health, happiness and prosperity!

Now, let’s get down to business. Many of us have new resolutions or goals that we’ve set for ourselves. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for?

Reflecting on the Past

Before we start implementing those new goals, we should take some time to reflect upon the past year, evaluate what worked for us and what didn’t. Sometimes it can be beneficial to literally and figuratively “clean house”.

For example, evaluate your rates. Do your rates reflect of your worth and industry standards? For voice actors, to see what standard rates are, you can consult the GVAA Rate Guide or the Gravy for the Brain Rate Guide.

For those in other industries, especially freelancers, make sure that you’re not underselling yourself. Be on top of what the going rates are for your line of work.

You may want to reflect upon your professional relationships, including those with your agents, coaches, industry partners, suppliers and even with your clients. How are those partnerships and relationships working out for you?

Setting those Goals

Why is goal setting so important? And why is writing them down equally as important? Without clearly defining and noting your goals, you might as well just consider them a daydream. You need to create a plan of action with specific and strategic steps. Each one of those steps completed will get you that much closer to your goals.

Let’s Get Real!

When setting your goals, make sure that they are realistic and achievable. I’m not saying that you should set goals that are only super easy to achieve, but you don’t want to set yourself up for failure either.

What’s your Timeline?

For me, goal setting should include dates and deadlines. I have set up my one-year goals, followed by three- to five-year goals. Within the one-year goals, I have smaller goals that will help me achieve the bigger one-year goals. I will make my smaller goals more achievable by creating tasks, steps and objectives to obtain. Some of those are broken down by per day, per week and per month.

Make Yourself Accountable

I make it a point to write my goals down, as well as the smaller steps that I plan on taking to realize them. By writing them down, I can visualize my plan of action. It’s like a business plan.

There are many tools available to help you note and track your goals. If you like pen and paper, you can simply use a regular notebook or you can use something that is designed for goal setting, such as the Clever Fox Planners. Or maybe you prefer a digital means of tracking. Trello is a popular, free online tool and app that can help you organize and track your goals and objectives. But for sure, there are other options than those I listed.

Making yourself accountable also means measuring your goals. Make sure that you’re able to measure your progress as you work towards those goals. Are you tracking your auditions? Are you counting those marketing outreaches? What about social media? Are you making those posts? Do you have a certain number of posts you want to make within a certain time period? Is the audience reach of your posts important to you? If yes, how can you grow that reach?

An additional way to keep yourself accountable is to be part of an accountability group. I cannot understate the benefit of them. This is one very important tool that I use to keep myself on track throughout the year. With my accountability groups, we list and discuss our goals, such as financial, performance, sales and marketing, as well as equipment and technology. We talk about our challenges, what may be holding us back, and we try help each other overcome our obstacles.

Celebrating Successes

Once said goal or task is achieved, it gets crossed off as accomplished, but not deleted. It is satisfying to be able to actually see that you are getting things done!

Some examples of goal setting could include financial goals. How much money you want to make for the year? You can make it easier to track by breaking them by earnings per month or per quarter.

Do you have any professional development goals? Maybe this is the year that you start coaching with someone new.

Do you have plans to network? Networking in person during Covid times may not be realistic, but there are so many options for those interested in virtual networking, including with your local chamber of commerce. In person conferences seem to be a thing again. I’m really hoping to attend at least one in-person voice over conference this year.

Part of your goals may encompass your work-life balance. A lot of voice actors, including myself, have other jobs and professions. And it’s important to be able to balance everything without burning out.

We can also incorporate some personal goals in our annual goal setting exercise. Afterall, we are a whole person that is not only about business.

Another important thing to remember is that our goals are not set in stone and can be changed along the way. People change and so can our goals.

Rewarding Yourself

It’s important to give yourself recognition when you hit those milestones. Make sure to give yourself a pat on the back at a minimum or maybe even a little reward of some kind! In one of my accountability groups, we agreed that we should treat ourselves to a little something once we hit certain income milestones, as we work towards the larger annual goal.

The most important message is to just start and get going! Make those 2022 dreams a reality, one step at a time!

Vacation Time!!

December 20, 2021 by Theresa C. Ho

With the Holiday Season around the corner, many of us are thinking about taking some down time and looking forward to spending quality time with family and friends. However, for voice over actors, the reality is that sometimes it’s hard to close down shop completely. This blog post is going to discuss the pros and cons of taking time away from your studio and making the decision to book out or not.

Managing Your Business

We, as voice talent, are our own bosses and don’t have a vacation pay that we can count on when we take time off. But that doesn’t mean that we should never take some time off.

At the end of November, I took a very much needed beach vacation getaway. I considered some different factors, and made the decision to book out. About a month before leaving, I warned certain customers with whom I was working on extensive projects that I would be unavailable from a certain date to a certain date and I made sure to complete other ones before my departure date. I booked out with my agent, as well. If we manage our upcoming vacation time well in advance, we can expect that things remain under control until we get back.

Voice Over Travel Gear

I know that a lot of VOs bring travel gear. They build those infamous pillow forts for sound treatment and choose to work during their vacations. I am definitely not opposed to working a bit during certain vacations, but considering this was my first international trip since the beginning of the pandemic, I chose not to bring any voice over gear. That being said, I did end up doing a bit of work during my vacation. I allowed myself to work on little things, such as answering emails – nothing that took up too much time. Also, while I was away, my daughter, who is also a voice actor, was short listed for a series of commercials. She was required to send in an audition with very little notice. The casting director understood our situation, and we were allowed to record the audition on a cellphone. It all worked out.

I seen posts on various voice over Facebook groups discussing if voice actors should bring their travel gear or not when they take vacation time. Some say that if you don’t, you’re guaranteed to lose out on work. I am of the mindset that it doesn’t have to be either or. While that may be true, you can look at it in another way – if you choose to work during your vacation, then is it really a vacation? I’m not saying that the loss of income doesn’t matter. But considering the amount of vacation time that most North Americans take compared to our European counterparts, I would challenge you to think about if it will make a huge difference to your annual income if you take one week off.

Some Factors to Consider

I’m not saying that you should reject a super high paying, high profile job. If you were to book, say a National commercial campaign, it would definitely be wise to accept to do that job even if you were on vacation. Those jobs are few and far between, even for top bookers in the voice over industry. But you might not want to work on that e-Learning project or Audiobook while you’re taking time off, as those genres of VO are much more time consuming.

Also, you might want to consider that even if you build that pillow fort or have a travel booth, like this one from Vocal Booth to Go, the sound treatment will likely be different from your home studio. Another option for working while out of town is to ask fellow voice talent to allow you to use their studio space, or you could always rent a local sound studio where you are vacationing.

Think about the definition of Vacation by the Merrian-Webster Dictionary and this might help you in making your decision.

1 : a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation

2 a: a scheduled period during which activity (as of a court or school) is suspended

b: a period of exemption from work granted to an employee

3: a respite or a time of respite from something : INTERMISSION

Giving Yourself Permission

I’m happy that I allow myself to have the option to work or not during vacation. I am definitely set up with travel gear so that I can make that decision to work while I travel, if I want to. We shouldn’t, however, feel guilty for taking time off. We all need and deserve a break. Whether you’re going away during your vacation or you simply need some downtime during your staycation, enjoy your time off. Don’t feel guilty and question yourself about it.

Realities of Running a Voice Over Business

In today’s day and age, we can literally work all the time! 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! Thus, the need to make that decision to shut off to keep ourselves mentally and physically healthy. We all need to mentally decompress and rejuvenate from time to time. This will help to keep us performing at the top of our game. The Voice Over industry is highly competitive, but that doesn’t mean that you should be afraid to book out. You should really consider that the time you take off could actually be beneficial to you as a voice actor.

When I got back from my vacation, I was really happy to get back into my booth and missed auditioning, etc. This is the type of feeling that will help voice over artists succeed over time. This type of mind set is so much more beneficial than one feeling afraid and/or guilty, yet tired and burned out.

My Holiday Message to you

This is my last blog of 2021. I would like to thank you for taking the time to read it and I hope that you enjoyed it! I would like to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Holiday Season! Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! Best wishes for 2022! Live, Love, Laugh and be Safe!!

Bilingual Voice Actor