Jodi Krangle

905 836 5444

Jodi@VoiceoversAndVocals.com

Voice Talent

Interview With Casting Director And Coach, Mary Lynn Wissner – Part 2

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Here’s the second part of my interview with casting director and coach, Mary Lynn Wissner. We talked about common mistakes she sees voice actors make and what she suggests voice talent do to differentiate themselves.

We also spoke about things like:

  • How voiceover work is about so much more than having a nice voice
  • How Mary Lynn helps producers open their eyes to possibilities they hadn’t considered when hiring talent
  • The difference in sound when adults do kids’ voices versus when kids do kids’ voices
  • What changes in the industry Mary Lynn predicts coming out of the COVID-19 shutdowns (during which time this episode was recorded)
  • What the process looks like when Mary Lynn finds talent for producers
  • The additional roles voice talent are having to take on 
  • The coaching Mary Lynn is doing currently
  • Mary Lynn’s VO Pros classes
  • What Mary Lynn is currently working on and how she structures her workdays
  • Mary Lynn’s Voiceover Self Direction app and how voice talent are using it to learn tips and tricks, gain confidence, and prepare for auditions

You can find out more about Mary Lynn and Voices Voicecasting on her website www.voicesvoicecasting.com, or you can email voicesvoicecasting@gmail.com. You can also check out The Voice Over Self Direction app on the App Store (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/voice-over-self-direction/id731453256?mt=8) or on Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jah.vvc).

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast?  If so, here’s the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453  And if you like what you hear (and read!) – please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

And if you’re interested in crafting an audio brand for your business, why not check out my FREE Audio Branding Worksheet?

Interview With Casting Director and Coach, Mary Lynn Wissner – Part 1

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Since 1990, Mary Lynn Wissner’s company Voices Voicecasting has cast thousands and thousands of voice talent in thousands and thousands of voiceover productions. She directs workshops, coaches voice talent, consults, and directs talent around the world. While things have certainly changed in the midst of the COVID-19 shutdowns (during which time this episode was recorded), Mary Lynn has stayed quite busy, including just finishing up a Bud Light casting.

In the first part of our conversation, we spoke about:

  • Mary Lynn’s background in acting and her studies at UCLA and Cal State
  • Being hired by Don Pitts as an assistant voiceover agent
  • Starting her company, Voices Voicecasting 
  • Doing voiceover work herself
  • Producing a traveling workshop called The VO Roadshow
  • How Mary Lynn has been able to mold her career around her family life
  • What Mary Lynn wishes she would have done differently in her career
  • How supportive the voiceover community is
  • Trends that Mary Lynn has seen change over the years
  • The difference between reading the copy and acting the copy of a voiceover piece
  • The majority of work that Mary Lynn has seen come through during the COVID-19 shutdowns
  • What exactly Mary Lynn’s role entails as a casting director

To find out more about Mary Lynn and Voices Voicecasting, check out her website www.voicesvoicecasting.com or email voicesvoicecasting@gmail.com. You can also check out The Voice Over Self Direction app on the App Store (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/voice-over-self-direction/id731453256?mt=8) or on Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jah.vvc).

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast?  If so, here’s the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453  And if you like what you hear (and read!) – please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

And if you’re interested in crafting an audio brand for your business, why not check out my FREE Audio Branding Worksheet?

Interview With Marketing Upheaval Expert, Rudy Fernandez – Part 2

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Here’s the second part of my interview with marketing upheaval expert Rudy Fernandez.  We talked about how he directs voice talent while in a session and the most important thing to consider when doing so.

We also spoke about things like: 

  • How Rudy self-admittedly tends to overdirect and how he navigates that with the voice talent he works with
  • The importance of always keeping voice talent involved in the creative process
  • The difference between character reads and announcer reads
  • How to ensure that the right voice talent is selected for a brand
  • The importance of brands having multiple touch points for their audiences
  • How companies are still utilizing radio advertising to this day
  • The work Rudy’s company is doing with The University of Alabama College of Continuing Studies
  • How audio can connect with audiences in ways other media cannot
  • The use of earcons and how they serve as an audio logo of sorts
  • What Rudy is working on during the Coronavirus shutdown (during which time we recorded this episode)
  • What Rudy’s daughter, a voice talent, is up to right now and the work she does in L.A.
  • A little bit about what I’ve been up to during the shutdown (only because Rudy asked!) 😄

You can check out more about Rudy and Creative Outhouse on the company’s website https://creativeouthouse.com and can listen to his podcast at https://creativeouthouse.com/podcast.

You can also find Rudy and Creative Outhouse on the following social platforms:

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast?  If so, here’s the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453  And if you like what you hear (and read!) – please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

And if you’re interested in crafting an audio brand for your business, why not check out my FREE Audio Branding Worksheet?

Winner of the 2018 SOVAS Award for Outstanding Narration Demo

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On November 18th of this year, the 5th annual Society of Voice Arts & Sciences held their awards ceremony at Warner Bros. Studio in J. Michael Collins & A. J. McKay accepting a SOVAS on my behalfL.A.  My TV (In Show) Narration Demo was nominated for an award (along with several other very talented nominees) when it was sent in by my demo producer, J. Michael Collins.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend this year as I had just returned home from another convention in Vegas (WoVOCon – the convention put on by the World Voices Organization, our Industry Association – www.world-voices.org for more information if you’re interested), so I went about my Sunday evening as usual.  I truly didn’t expect the flood of emails and texts and instant messages from Facebook when I won in my category (woah!).  What a wonderful and unexpected surprise.  Not that J. Michael and A.J. McKay (the audio engineer on the project) didn’t do an outstanding job in making me sound my best – but the competition was fierce.  It always is at these award ceremonies.The SOVAS Award with my name on it

I’m extremely grateful to both J. Michael and A.J. for the stellar job they did (they’re pictured above, accepting the award on my behalf).  But I also hugely appreciate all the judges (that must be a really hard job!) and Rudy Gaskins & Joan Baker for being the masterminds behind this wonderful show (along with the That’s Voiceover Conference that happens the day before the awards).  This 5th Annual Awards Show featured a tribute to Sigourney Weaver, as she received a Voice Arts Icon award, a tribute to Van Jones as he received the Muhammad Ali Voice Of Humanity Award, and a tribute to Rosario Dawson as she received the Environmental Voice Arts Award.

It was a wonderful night for nominees and award winners alike, lighting up the red carpet with their elegance – and while I was sad I couldn’t be there, J. Michael’s acceptance speech on my behalf was far better than I would have been able to come up with on the spur of the moment.

You can hear the announcement of the winner and his acceptance speech below.

This video was very kindly taken by Sophia Cruz – who you can hear “whooing” in the background. 😉

In case you’re curious, the award-winning demo is here:

      JODI_KRANGLE_TV_Narration_Demo - Jodi Krangle - 2892211261

It’s a rare occurrence that a voice actor gets any recognition at all, and most of us spend a great deal of time in padded recording booths speaking to ourselves.  😉  So this kind of appreciation is a rare and wonderful thing.  Thank you to all involved.

Who Wants to Be a Voice Talent?

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Who Wants To Be A Voice Talent? – J. Christopher Dunn is a very talented voice over artist who gets asked what it takes to be a voice talent on a regular basis (I think any of us that have been in the business a bit have been asked the same). Here’s a pretty detailed analysis of what you need to know if you want to pursue this area of self-employment. Yes, it’s a very rewarding line of work (I LOVE it – and I know I’m not alone!) – but it’s not for the faint of heart. The advice in this article will be hugely helpful to you if you really are determined to make a go of it.

And along the same lines, Paul Strikwerda talks about some of the things you should definitely think about in his article, How to Break into the Voice-Over Business.  Paul has also recently written something that you really should read before you jump into this business.  If you can get past those words of caution and still have passion for this, then you’re doing really well.

Dee Bradley Baker also has a fantastic website called I Want To Be A Voice Actor – and it has *everything* on there.  There’s information on demos, agents, VO myths, learning to act, how to get started with your home studio, etc.  Well worth a look.