VO School Podcast

In this VO School Podcast Special we present the Working Pro's Panel from eVOcation2020, featuring voice talents Mara Junot, Mia Bankston and Robb Moreira.

For more information visit: https://www.VOSchoolPodcast.com

We are back with August's VO School Podcast episode! We talk home studios, the upcoming eVOcation Conferencea and how VO life in Covid times has changed.

Our panel this week is: Maria Pendolino, Carin Gilfry, Joey Schaljo, Robb Moreira and Jamie Muffett.

For more information visit: https://www.VOschoolPodcast.com

We're back! And things are a little different this time around.

I have gathered 8 (including me) superstar voice actors from across the US to discuss the latest happenings in the VO world. We will dive into specialist subjects, current news, trends and tribulations.

For more information on the podcast, including the team, links and social media, please visit: https:://www.VOSchoolPodcast.com

Joining me this week is Kiff Vandenheuvel, an American actor, director and teacher of both improvisational comedy and voiceover. He is the host of the award nominated voiceover podcast, All Over Voiceover with Kiff VH. His film credits include Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Nightcrawler, La La Land, and Behind the Candelabra, as Liberace's (Michael Douglas)'s half-brother, Wayne. He is best known for his work in BioShock Infinite as Zachary Hale Comstock, Skavak in Star Wars: The Old Republic, Walter in Telltale's The Walking Dead and as Cliff Rich on the Netflix series, Richie Rich.

I discuss with Kiff the benefits of improv to voice actors, how the fundamental principles can be developed, and the practical applications of these skills when in the booth or the motion capture volume

This week on the VO School we are talking about politics...political ads that is!

Here in the US we are heading into possibly one of the biggest political seasons in history. Hundreds of millions of Dollars are spent on television, radio and online advertisements, which makes this is a hugely lucrative area of the voiceover industry for those that fit.

So what does the political ad landscape look like? What skills does a talent need to possess to succeed? Who hires talent, and what is the turnaround process for these kinds of projects?

We are joined by Sam Ufret and Jim Kennelly from Lotas Productions to discuss this. Lotas are a hub for political ad production on the East coast of the US. They cast and produce hundreds of ads, and are at the cutting edge of the latest trends in politicals.

And this week not only are we discussing this genre, Jim and Sam are reviewing listener submissions! This is a fascinating insight into the casting and directorial process from the perspective of the production team.

To find out more, visit: https://www.voschoolpodcast.com

This week on the VO School Podcast we are discussing how, when and why you should leave your day job to pursue voiceover full time.

After the hustle, the grind, the constant rejection, the training and eventually the work, comes the point at which when you must decide if voiceover is your primary source of income. This is a treacherous time if not done strategically and can result in financial hardship that impacts not only your bank account but your physical and mental health too.

Joining us this week to discuss this is Maria Pendolino, break-out star of the VOcation voiceover conference in NYC she is an experienced voice talent, business Ninja and mentor. She has navigated these waters herself, as well as helping many others to do so.

What are the signs pointing you toward a full time career in voiceover? What are the dangers? And what strategies can you employ to mitigate them?

Have you ever wondered who voices the Oscars, the Tony’s or the Emmy’s? Well this weeks guest has voiced all three! That’s in addition to the Kennedy Center Honors, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the AFI Awards, plus many more.

Randy Thomas is our special guest on this weeks VO School Podcast, and we are talking about everything live announce!

How did Randy get in to this line of work? What skills do you need to book the big gigs, and how do you cope with the pressure when announcing live (and it really is live!) to the world.

What is it like on Oscars day? How do you prepare? And how do you know who’s won?

We also find out what it was like behind the scenes at the Oscars, the night La La Land was incorrectly called as winner of Best Picture back in 2017.

To find out more, visit: https://www.voschoolpodcast.com

For more information, visit: https://www.voschoolpodcast.com

This week on the VO School Podcast we are tackling a challenging subject - race. How does ethnicity play a role within an industry that could (or should) be considered colorblind?

Joining us to discuss this are voice actors Tiffany Copland and Mara Junot. They lift the veil on some of the barriers to entry for people of color in the voiceover industry.

Mara and Tiffany discuss how the casting process can perpetuate cultural stereotypes, how talent who impersonate other races can exacerbate this problem, how representation (agents and managers) and casting directors can play a role in encouraging authentic casting, and how disparities in the wider culture mean that already marginalized groups have a much harder time breaking through.

Mara DuRousseau Junot is an African-American voiceover actress. The former Voice-Over Coach & Telephony Specialist at Edge Studio attended The University of Southwestern Louisiana for Liberal Arts, Vocal Training and Honors English. Junot grew up in Denver, Colorado in the snowy mountains, and later moved to Los Angeles, California. She has done voiceovers for Fortune 500 companies worldwide and can be found in a range of media from video games to animated movies. Junot is known for her "shapeshifting voice". Junot's voice is featured in various well-known brands including, but not limited to, ESPN, Nintendo, Minecraft, McDonald's, Google, Coca-Cola, The Walking Dead, and Target. She became the first female voice actor to narrate E! True Hollywood Story in 2019. The show originally premiered in 1996. She is represented by William Morris Endeavor

Tiffany J. Copeland is an actor, voice actor and voiceover career coach. She hosts a SOVAS Voice Arts Award nominated podcast discussing voiceover from the African American perspective titled Black Girl Voiceover World. Her most recent voice over work has been featured during the 2019 NCAA Big East Conference. Her voice credits include: CAT, Louisiana Lottery, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Ohio Lottery.

We’re back with a new season of the VO School Podcast. For our 50th episode we present the agents and Managers panel from New York City’s VOcation Conference.

VOcation is a conference devoted entirely to the business of voiceover, co-chaired by VO School host, Jamie Muffett.

In this wide ranging discussion we cover what it takes to be signed by an agent and/or manager in 2020 and beyond - how best to get an agents attention, what they are looking for and when to approach them. We also find out how to maintain a healthy relationship with your representation and a few no-no’s that could get you fired.

Our panelists this week are Tim Walsh from Atlas Talent, Eileen Schellhorn from DDO and Phil Sutfin from ACM Talent.

The panel concludes with an audience Q&A featuring questions about demos, age, accents and genres of voiceover.

For more information, visit: https://www.voschoolpodcast.com

This week on the VO School Podcast is the second in our two part series on how to find work in voiceover genres. In the last episode we covered commercials, radio imaging, IVR, promo and Spanish language. This week we are looking at corporate narration, E-learning, explainer videos and audiobooks.

So how do you get started in corporate narration, E-learning, explainer videos and audiobooks? Who do you reach out to? What kind of training is required? Where do clients go to find voice talent? And where should you focus your time, effort and resources?

Helping us to answer these questions and more are two highly respected voiceover industry veterans.

Sean Pratt has been an audiobook narrator for 22 years (aka – Lloyd James), recording over 1000+ Audio Books in almost every genre.

He narrates for such companies as Blackstone Audiobooks, Tantor Media, Gildan Audio, Harper Collins, Penguin Random House, and Christian Audio.

Notable titles include – A Death in the Family by James Agee, Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace, Elvis in the Morning by William F. Buckley and Lindberg by A. Scott Berg.

With over twenty years as a professional voice actor, J. Michael Collins has worked with some of the biggest companies, brands, sports leagues, and organizations on the planet. In addition to his work in the classic, agency-based world of VO, J. Michael has established himself as a leading authority in the online casting marketplace and has become recognized as an industry leading talent coach and demo producer as well. J. Michael is a 16 time Voice Arts Award winner as a voice actor, demo producer, script writer, and casting director.