Welcome to episode 81 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

In this episode, I continue answering questions from my podcast audience! For those who may not be as familiar with the podcast, in past episodes, I’ve given out a phone number where you can call in and leave me a question about voice acting as a voicemail. From time to time, I’ll pick the most relevant questions I receive and answer them here on the podcast.

For this round of Q & A, I answer questions from Anthony of Ladyville, Belize and Steven of Savannah, GA .

Anthony wants to know whether or not producers and directors pursue actors in order to cast them in their projects, or whether actors pursue producers in order to work on their shows.

Many people get their understanding of the acting industry from celebrity interviews or sensationalized entertainment magazines, where it can seem like actors are pursued to play certain roles and can then “pick and choose” which roles to accept. While this can be the case with high-profile on-camera celebrities, it’s not usually true for voice actors.

I explain to Anthony exactly how the casting process works in voice acting and how it differs from on-camera acting casting. I also share the 3 different ways that voice over casting tends to get done these days:

1. Agencies
2. “Pay-to-Play” Sites
3. Direct Marketing

Depending on where you are in your career, and what types of voice acting projects you’d like to pursue, one or more of these casting paradigms might be appropriate for you.

The question that Steven is asking is if voice actors decide to limit themselves to one field of voice acting, or whether they audition for anything that comes their way.

I picked Steven’s question because I feel it’s a good follow up to Anthony’s question about the casting process.

I explain to Steven the balance one must strike between discovering what one’s niche is in the voice acting world and making sure not to limit one’s possible employment opportunities.

I hope you find the answers useful in your own voice acting endeavors!

If any of my listeners would like to call in with your own thoughts, thank you’s or questions, the number is:

323-696-2655.

Please don’t forget to include your first name and what city in the world you’re calling from. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #81 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 76 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

In episode 75 I explained the importance of creating and maintaining a positive and consistent voice acting brand. I gave specific advice on how to start with your “signature sound” and how to make sure your website, e-mail and other marketing items represent you as a voice acting “product” in a consistent way. Building and maintaining a clear brand makes it easier for casting directors and producers to remember who you are and what you have to offer as a voice actor. As I mentioned in the last episode, your voice acting brand should be based on your full name. This makes it easier for potential employers to reliably contact you for audition and job opportunities. I also touched on the importance of backing up your marketing message with absolute professionalism.

In this episode, I’d like to take the idea of branding yourself even further by introducing you to the concept of “external” vs. “internal” branding. You see, your voice acting brand is not only about your signature sound and your marketing materials. These things do promote you by showing others what you can do as a voice actor, but they are only part of your branding story. Things like your demo, your website and other promotional items contribute to your “external” brand. Your body of work as a voice actor is also part of your external brand, since your list of credits and your finished performances show your unique creative contribution to anyone who sees or hears them. As powerful as this is for promoting yourself as an actor, these external brand items are not actually you. They are “reflections” of you. They are the artifacts or manifestations of your brand in audio and visual formats. These external brand items are your representatives; they communicate who you are as an artist to casting directors and producers when you’re not around. But what about when you actually are there, in person, interacting with industry professionals, the press, or the public? How do you apply the idea of branding yourself to your face-to-face encounters? The answer is to develop not only your external brand, but your internal brand as well.

In the podcast, I outline in detail how to develop your internal brand to make sure it supports and does not detract from your external brand. I think you’ll find it incredibly useful.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could give me a positive review in the iTunes Music Store! Here’s how:

1. Follow this link to the Voice Acting Mastery Podcast in iTunes. Your browser should open up to a page listing the podcast.
2. Click on the View in iTunes button which looks like this:  in order to view the podcast in iTunes. (NOTE: You must have iTunes installed on your computer for this to work)
3. Once you’re inside the iTunes program, click on the stars to rate. They look like this: 

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #76 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 75 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

In episode 74, I discussed at length how important it is to develop a public persona in order to interact more fruitfully with the public and with fandom. I described your public persona as the face you show to the public, to your fans, to the press, to anyone outside of your intimate circle of family or friends. Such a persona is not only useful to help you maintain a gracious and respectful relationship with fandom, but can also serve as emotional armor when you feel the need to protect yourself from public criticism. How you design your public persona depends on your own artistic values, and also on the brand you choose to build as an industry professional.

The concept of branding oneself as a voice actor can be confusing, especially when you’re just starting out, so in this episode I’d like to share some tips on how to approach the subject. Having a solid grasp of your own brand can not only help you decide how your public persona will behave, it can also shape your marketing, your overall business strategy, and your personal interactions with fellow industry professionals. Building a strong, positive brand and then staying true to it can help it grow, which strengthens your ability to stand out from the crowd and be remembered by employers, peers, and the public. On the other hand, a weak or inconsistent brand can make you less memorable or even undesirable as an actor.

In the podcast, I explore in detail what it takes to create an effective and consistent brand. I hope you find it helpful in your voice acting endeavors.

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #75 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 63 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

This is the third and final part of my interview with UK and US based voice actress Jennifer Taylor Lawrence. You may be familiar with her work in the video game Killzone where she plays the role of Shadow Marshal Luger. In addition to her voice acting and on-camera acting accomplishments, Jennifer was kind enough to record the introduction voice-over for this podcast.

As we conclude our interview, Jennifer shares with me her advice for voice actors, especially those who are based in the UK. She also describes in detail how she approached and got accepted by her UK agent. I’m sure this will be enlightening and relevant for any of my listeners who are currently seeking representation.

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #63 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 62 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

In this episode, I continue my interview with UK and US based voice actress Jennifer Taylor Lawrence. You may be familiar with her work in the video game Killzone where she plays the role of Shadow Marshal Luger. In addition to her voice acting and on-camera acting accomplishments, Jennifer was kind enough to record the introduction voice-over for this podcast.

During the second part of our conversation, Jennifer discusses what aspect of her dancing and theater training she finds most useful in her voice acting career. She also talks to me about the differences between the US and UK voice over industries. I was surprised by how differently the casting process works in each country and how important your demo is in the UK market! I found it very enlightening, and I hope you will too!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #62 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 61 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

For this episode of the podcast, I’m very happy to welcome a guest that everyone in my audience will recognize, even if you don’t yet know her name. Jennifer Taylor Lawrence is a voice actress from Australia who has worked in both the UK and US voice over markets. While some of you may have heard her voice acting work in the video game Killzone where she played the character of Shadow Marshal Luger, Jennifer also happens to be the lovely intro voice for this podcast, and it is she who introduces me in each episode.

Since I know I have many international listeners both in the UK and Australia, I thought it would be helpful to bring Jennifer on the podcast and chat with her about her experiences breaking into the world of voice acting as a UK based actress. I ended up learning a lot about how different the UK voice over market really is, and I think many of my listeners will benefit from Jennifer’s story.

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #61 Here (MP3)