A question I often get asked is: How long should it take me to complete and submit a single audition?
Well, first let me say… If you’re brand spanking new at the auditioning process – it isn’t gonna be quick! First you’re reading/interpreting the script, then voicing it several times. Is your mic on? Is it set at a proper level? Did you shut the AC off?! After recording you’re listening back, selecting your keepers, cleaning them up, and lastly submitting… Yeah. It’s easy to get caught up in overthinking the direction. It’s also easy to obsess and overanalyze your performance. And when no one is there to stop you – you may end up reading any given audition script dozens of times! [Read more…] about Auditioning Advice from Melissa Moats
Hello fellow voicers! I am thrilled to introduce you to a sweet and warm lady, Melodie Maynor! Melodie feels her background in Theater Club and Choir in high school helped lay the foundation for her voice over journey. Her military career of over 14 years gives Melodie a vast amount of customer service experience that she brings to the table. Although she had difficulty finding classes on becoming a voice over artist back in 2012/2013 Melodie didn’t let it squash her desire or her motivation. 
Allow me to introduce Iris Fields, a fascinating and multi-faceted lady. Her first contact with the voice over world happened when Iris went to Los Angeles to make a promotional CD for her real estate business in the 1990’s. During the taping, the engineer was so impressed with her voice, he encouraged her to investigate Voiceover. That was the first time she became aware of the Voiceover potential and, although still immersed in her 38-year-long real estate career, Iris never forgot about his suggestion. 
On Saturday, I enjoyed leading an On-Going Workshop where we talked a lot about getting out of our own way, and how sometimes when we’re caught up in the daily grind of life it’s difficult to get into a creative, playful mindset… while standing alone in our padded closets! The struggle is real! When you have the energy of your coach or fellow Voicers with you, it seems so much easier to tap into a more spirited performance mindset!
I hope you know I think of you often. As a mentor and friend to the VO industry, as I go through my day as a full-time voice actor, I often catch myself thinking… This would be a great thing to share with up-and-coming talent!And ‘marketing’ – aka self promotion – is on that list! 
A voiceover career is primarily a creative enterprise. You get to walk into a small room, talk to a microphone like it’s your best friend, record that sound, maybe edit it (and other audio engineering tasks), become a master of your computer, the internet and social media, market yourself online and at conferences, have a “so what do you do?” elevator speech…all sorts of cool stuff, right?
This episode of Joy’s Talent Spotlight will feature the handsome and talented Jesse Estrada. We all know Jesse as our TVAS coach and engineering savior! Jesse fell in love with all things “voice” as a young man listening to the raw emotions coming from the radio, and found it all to be very intriguing. He got into radio just out of high school, but sadly realized that the income potential was too low. In 2002, Jesse temporarily left the world of radio. 
Uh, yeah. Auditioning can totally mess with our minds. We’re so determined to get those bookings! One crucial thing to remember… The voice over business is about selection not rejection. You won’t be right for every project that lands in your inbox. But you will be perfect for MANY!
One of the things about VO is that nobody’s experience (AKA “the journey”) is quite the same as anybody else’s. Two people can sign up at the same pay-to-play site, for example, put up essentially similar demos, and do everything like each other, and one will succeed and the other won’t book anything.
A question came up in a recent audiobook class about pseudonyms, and whether you need them in other areas of voiceover. 