The way that voice actors record audiobooks has evolved over the years. When this episode’s guest first launched his career in voice over, everybody recorded from a studio while receiving live direction. Now, with decades of experience under his belt and a slew of awards to his name, our guest explains how home recording has […]

As a voice actor hailing from the convention capital of the United States, Melissa Moats has had the chance to rack up a lot of experience performing live announcements. While live events may have temporarily been put on hold, there are still plenty of opportunities to perform virtual live announcements: a genre of voice over […]

Today’s listeners can sniff out an inauthentic voice from a mile away. Whether it’s a regional accent or a voice’s age, authenticity in a read will determine whether a vocal performance really sells an audience or just falls flat. In this week’s episode, Stephanie links up with voice actor and coach Brian McKeever to listen […]

Success in voice acting is all about setting yourself apart—whether it’s your audition standing out from other submissions, or your masterful delivery that billboards the name of a brand to distinguish it from the rest of the copy in a script. To produce more winning auditions, you have to learn how to juggle the client’s […]

Automotive spots for radio and TV are a classic genre of voice over job. But as a voice actor performing a car commercial read today, how do you make a traditional topic fresh, and how can you use your voice to hone in on the specific target market the company aims to resonate with? In […]

Listeners often gravitate toward voices that they can form a connection with. That’s why more and more voice over casting directors are on the lookout for relatable reads. But sounding relatable to your audience doesn’t always come naturally: it takes a deliberate mix of enthusiasm, cool composure, and some careful script analysis.  Who better, then, to show you the ropes than Amie Breedlove? Beyond being the voice who reminds you to take your receipt at Target self-checkouts, Amie has...

Thanks to technology, connecting with clients for a live directed session has never been easier—even when you’re located halfway across the globe from one another. Near, far, or wherever you are, a directed session’s success relies on how prepared you are to juggle various technologies while following remote recording etiquette. That’s why Stephanie was over the moon to chat with world-renowned voice actor and vocal coach Toby Ricketts from his home studio in New Zealand. In this episode,...

It seems like everyone is looking for a voice that is authentic and believable, but what does that actually sound like – and how do you nail it in your voice over performance? Voice actor and coach Bradford Hastings joins Stephanie and Julianna to break down this ambiguous but incredibly important vocal quality. Every voice actor is going to want to hear Bradford’s insights and tips, including how to navigate punctuation in the script so that you instill your own natural thoughts and beats...

Recorded live in New York City, in this episode of Mission Audition, Stephanie and Julianna sit down with Dale LaRue, Strategy Director at RAIN. Together, they explore how voice over clients make casting decisions. Learn about clients’ top considerations, who is involved in casting decisions, how heavily the ‘right’ voice over is weighed, and get answers to the golden question: why voice actors may not hear back right away (or at all) on their auditions. You’ll also hear real auditions from...

In this episode, learn how to hone in on the best voice over audition opportunities by getting to know your voice, finding your niche, and getting strategic about the time you take to audition. Voice Over Artist, John Kubin, joins co-hosts Stephanie and Julianna for a special live recording of the podcast at VoiceWorld Los Angeles (hosted by Voices.com), where he shares additional insight on how to sound like yourself, get into scene, adjust your voice, and how to read your audience. Mission...

More and more, we see marketers, casting directors, and big brands (like WeWork, AirBnB, and Uber) moving towards truly real, conversational reads. But how do you sound like you’re not reading when you’re reading? In this episode, you’ll learn what uber successful voice over actress and coach, Andrea Collins does to book commercial jobs (add that shrug!) and what she doesn’t do. We’ll go over how to read lists and still sound conversational, what to keep in mind when tackling commercial...

Knowing how to connect with your audience is a crucial element of working in the voice over industry – a skill nobody would advocate more than this week’s guest, Mary Van De Velde. A seasoned professional who has spent years as a radio traffic and news reporter for WGN-AM Chicago, Mary joined co-hosts Stephanie and Julianna for a special live recording of the podcast at VoiceWorld Chicago (hosted by Voices.com). In this episode, they listen to a handful of commercial reads and discuss tips...

On this episode, co-hosts Stephanie and Julianna are joined by voice over animation star and fellow Canadian, Ron Rubin, live in Toronto at VoiceWorld (hosted by Voices.com). Listen in to hear Ron deliver feedback, masterclass style, and give his personal tips and tricks on getting into character, bringing the script to life, leveraging the back story of your character, and balancing your own creative energy for a knock-out performance. About Ron Rubin Ron Rubin is an award winning actor,...

How well do you know your own voice? As a voice actor, understanding your instrument is key to unlocking boundless opportunities. In this episode of Mission Audition, co-hosts Stephanie and Julianna are joined by Speech Language Pathologist, Tricia Veldman. Together, they go deep into the mechanics of speech, and walk you through how to speak comfortably, how to sound natural and believable, and more. Hosts: Stephanie Ciccarelli, Julianna Jones, with special guest, Speech Language...

Voice acting offers a unique career path, where your chronological age doesn’t necessarily have to reflect your voice age, or the age-range of the work you take on. Audio Engineer, Producer and Coach, Donovan Weyland joins Stephanie and Julianna in the studio, where they discuss the unique attributes of child voices, how to tell authentic child voices apart from the adults who are pretending, and more. They also dive deep into what to expect if you’re a parent of a child who shows voice...

Australian accents are captivating, yet challenging. Many North American actors think they can do an Aussie accent, but often miss the mark. What does it take to do it right? Special guest Toby Ricketts, a New Zealand-based voice actor and voice over coach, has mastered various Australian accents and knows how to spot the real McCoy. Can you? Learn how to spot telltale signs of an authentic Australian accent as Toby, Stephanie and Julianna talk accents, dialects and so much more in this...

Medical narration voice over is known for being both lucrative and challenging, as it is fraught with hard-to-pronounce words and jargon. On this episode of Mission Audition, listen in as Stephanie, Julianna and special guest, Voice Actor and Coach Kim Handysides, put these medical narration voice over auditions under the microscope and prescribe advice on: knowing your audience, how to pronounce medical terminology for various geographies, and how to sound like you have a Bachelors of...

Think commercial work is the only way to represent a brand with your voice? Think again! Voicemail and telephony voice over plays a crucial role in representing a brand’s literal voice, and a key touch point with hundreds, if not thousands of customers each year. In this episode of Mission Audition, Stephanie and Julianna are joined by Voice Over Artist and Coach, Shelley Cohen. Listen in to learn about how to connect with the caller, and master the art of sounding professional and warm at...

The rumours of the ‘death of radio’ have been greatly exaggerated. Radio is, in fact, booming. Statistics show that in the United States, weekly radio reach stood at 89.9 percent of the population in 2018. Within the demographic of men aged 18 years or older alone, the average listener consumes 14 hours and 35 minutes of radio content, during an average week. Plus, with the advent of audio streaming networks, the (digital) audio content is more popular than ever. On this episode of Mission...

Want to narrate audiobooks? Award-winning narrator, Ilyana Kadushin shares insights and tips on audiobook narration, specifically for the genre of Children’s Fantasy. Hear male and female narrators read excerpts from George MacDonald’s classic, The Princess and the Goblin. Along the way, you’ll learn about the importance of connecting to a genre as a narrator, what the role of a narrator can be and how to most effectively use your voice to connect with the text and your audience. Hosts:...

Want to narrate audiobooks? Award-winning narrator, Ilyana Kadushin shares insights and tips on audiobook narration, specifically for the genre of Children’s Fantasy. Hear male and female narrators read excerpts from George MacDonald’s classic, The Princess and the Goblin. Along the way, you’ll learn about the importance of connecting to a genre as a narrator, what the role of a narrator can be and how to most effectively use your voice to connect with the text and your audience. About...